Final Fantasy VII: Advent Shinobi
by ItsukoAkatsuki
Summary: Note: This is not a crossover of the game, it is a crossover of the movie. The movie wasn't in the list of choices. Basically it's the movie Advent Children with a Naruto crossover on it, summary will be put in Ch.2, please read! itz better than it sounds
1. The Time That Has Past

Chapter 1: The Time That Has Past…

498 years from now…

#

The land at first laid forgotten for the trees and mountains had grown back. The age of once was was long over and life was starting to come back to the war stained lands. All those who survived it could tell the story but they too were long forgotten now. The only time they were remembered was in the place of stories…legends and myths that once spoke a word called _shinobi_ but to all those who listened they believed it not and it remained nothing more than a story told to imaginative children.

The area was covered with rocks of the mountains, not much of a home to any creature that came across it, but now there was the sound of pitter patter of feet and the birds above could only see orange flashes as the creatures ran and jumped over rocks.

The one running in front, the biggest, had reddish orange fur and big ears, back in the days of shinobi he was known as the horrifying Nine Tails Fox but now he was nothing more than a mountain fox that lived his remaining days in peace. His body had grown much much smaller but he was still big for a fox.

Running alongside him was two similar foxes only smaller. They both sported his strangely colored fur and his glowing red eyes.

The three foxes came to a raised cliff but jumped it easily and when they reached the top the cliff was tall enough to show the land that was hidden behind it.

There were strange ruins and things left behind by the war that took place in the land almost five hundred years ago but the ruins were now covered with beautiful trees and life. The ruins had been abandoned for much longer but the meaning of them still held a strong place in the hearts of those who knew. The sea that had been farther west had come up and now took most of the land that lay in front of them, the water shining beautifully with the sun.

The Nine Tailed Fox, waiting for his children to climb up, took one look at the ruins and raised his head in a loud roar. Both his children joined even though they couldn't muster a roar mighty enough to cloud their father's. Several birds flew past them into the lands, singing at the sea as they flew past.

The sun overhead began to be covered with clouds and time settled back…

#

498 years ago…_Northern Cave…_

"Jugo! Look at this!" a voice rang out in the still air.

"Huh? …paydirt" the other voice replied after a hushed moment.

"Not a pretty sight, is it?" the first voice said, the voice was light and feminine while the other was deep with strength.

Far ahead was a helicopter with only one person sitting inside. He was flying around impatiently for his teammates to finish up. He was tapping his foot and listening to them make simple conversation.

"Who cares? Just get the damn thing" he said, he sighed.

"Suigetsu, the chopper" Jugo called on the radio.

"You got it" Suigetsu said eagerly, _finally_, he thought as he turned the autopilot off. He took the steer shift and moved it down into the large carter in the mountain where Jugo and Karin were waiting.

The helicopter was about halfway down when there were sounds of gunfire ringing out in the silent air.

"Whoa!" Jugo said over the radio, it sounded like he stumbled and more gunshots were heard.

"Suigetsu, hurry!" Karin shouted.

"Suigetsu!"

"Who the hell is that?" Jugo yelled over the radio.

The helicopter finally landed on the ground and Jugo and Karin climbed on. Jugo continued to shoot at the unknown enemies. There was sounds of struggle and Karin yelped.

"Karin!" more gunshots.

"Go…get out!" Karin yelled to Jugo.

"…Damn it!" Jugo said but with one final gunshot going off everything went quiet and the radio stopped dead.

Suigetsu, having what Jugo and Karin retrieved left without them and came out of the crater and flew away, heading past the mountains into the wilderness…

#

_The Lifestream…_

_That's what we call the river of life that circles our planet…giving life to the world and everything in it. _

_I've heard stories that a long time ago it was known as a different name. My mother called it Chakra and she said that everyone that was born had it in their bodies, it's what kept them alive. _

_It wasn't long before the people with Chakra began using it for other means. They found that through different wielding that they were able to use special powers that only Gods in stories could use. Some used it to make the world a better place while others used it for bad. Because of this the land that we now stand on was broken into five great nations and there was a lot of wars and fighting between them. _

_But, in the final war, they all worked together to stop a very evil man who went by the name of Tobi. This Tobi wanted peace but in the way of enslaving everyone. Even though the war only lasted a short time there was a lot of death and a lot of sacrifices but the man Tobi was defeated and his comrades went into hiding, or so my mother told me, I don't think anyone really knows. _

_They were called Shinobi back then but now that word doesn't mean anything anymore, in fact, it's almost frowned upon now. I'm not sure why but mother tells me that I'll understand one day. _

_After the final war it was peaceful for a long time but then something strange happened…_

_No one was being born with Chakra anymore…_

_No one could explain it or prevent it and soon, all the surviving shinobi, not wanting anymore wars and sacrifices gave up being shinobi and started to live a much normal life and for a long time there wasn't anything but peace, there was bad things but nothing like it used to be. _

_Their jutsus and skills began to get washed away and soon no one believed the term shinobi anymore…_

_This went on for eight years…and Chakra became the Lifestream and it protected our planet and gave life to all the dead parts. _

_But then, just two years ago, the Uchiha Electric Power Company discovered a way…to use the Lifestream as an energy source._

_Because of Uchiha's energy, we were able to live very comfortable lives._

_But wasn't that because we were taking away from the planet's life?_

_A lot of people thought so…_

_Uchiha used their power to try and stop anybody who got in their way._

_Uchiha had a special group of warriors called Taka. They were a group of shinobi that had lived through the final war. To make them stronger the leader of the Uchiha Electric Power Company, a man known as Sasuke Uchiha, had them get Jenova cells put into them._

_Jenova was a calamity that fell from the sky almost seven years ago…and Jenova tried to destroy the planet. It was said that it came into being because of the evil man Tobi but no one believes the stories anymore._

_Anyway, one of Taka's goals was to bring back the evil man Tobi but in doing so, with Jenova's cells, they birthed something else._

_They later named him Sephiroth and they had him join Taka. Believing he was Tobi reborn they forced a lot of Jenova's cells into him, in an attempt to make him stronger. And with those cells he was better than all the rest…not even the leader of Taka could stand up to him…_

_But when he found out about the terrible experiments that made him…he began to hate Uchiha._

_And then, over time, he began to hate everything. _

_Uchiha and the people against them._

_Sephiroth, who hated the planet so much…he wanted to make it go away._

_And the people who tried to stop him…were the only ones that could stand against them. _

_The shinobi from long since hiding had come back, in order to save the planet from Sephiroth._

_There were a lot of battles._

_For every battle, there was more sadness._

_Someone I love went back to the Lifestream too._

_And then, it came…_

_The Chosen Day…_

_In the end, the planet itself had to make the battles stop for good._

_The planet used the Lifestream as a weapon…and when it burst out of the earth…_

_All the fighting…all the greed and sadness…everything was washed away._

"_Sadness was the price to see it end." _

_It's been two years since they told me that. _

_But it looks like the planet was a lot madder than we thought._

_They call it geostigma. _

_No one knows where it came from and it only infected those who still had the Lifestream in their bodies. Even though most people were born without it._

_The shinobi of long ago died because of the stigma, there was no cure for it, even though they had much better means of medical healing. That's why there aren't shinobi anymore, I know of a few but I don't see them anymore…_

_They went back into hiding…for my sake and the sake of others…is what they told me. I haven't seen them since then and I miss them terribly. _

_But at least Neji came back… _

_He came back to us with Sakura but she left not much longer after arriving. She said that she needed to do some soul searching but even I know that she is still heartbroken after the recent event. It took a lot of her friends' lives. _

_Not much time has passed since then…but I do know one thing._

_Sakura…please come home…_

#

The city of Midgar was bustling like always. The streets were filled with people and cars and buses were making their way around the city. Most of the city was still being rebuilt after the Uchiha incident but skyscrapers were standing tall, giving the city some life, despite the growing stigma.

Children were running around and laughing. All those except the ones with the stigma who were sitting around in the alleys. Their bodies covered with medical tape in the places where the stigma had infected them. The stigma was growing and getting out of hand.

#

Marlene was alone, sitting next to Denzel's bed. He was stirring in his sleep and turning over his cloth fell off his forehead, showing the stigma above his left eye, it was getting worse.

"Hmm…ow…well Marlene? How does it look?" Denzel asked, touching the wound softly, he moved his bangs out of the way so Marlene could see it better.

Marlene bit her lip but then smiled. She got up from her spot and took the cloth to put it back on his head again. Denzel sighed and turned onto his back again.

_Please. Please don't take Denzel away._

#

_Downstairs, in the bar area…_

Neji Hyuuga, who had just turned twenty-six years old, was washing out glasses and seating them back on the counter when the phone upstairs starting ringing to life. Neji didn't take notice of it and continued to wash the glasses.

The phone kept ringing.

"She's not here anymore" he sighed and put the drying towel over his shoulder. He listened to the ringing phone for another moment before tossing the towel into the sink and heading upstairs.

Marlene, who was in the room opposite of Sakura's office, merely looked at the ringing phone with a sad expression, badly enough she wanted to cry at the absent Sakura.

Denzel, still awake, asked from under the covers "Sakura, where are you?"

Neji was halfway up the stairs when he stopped and looked up the stairs at Sakura's room. The door was slightly ajar and from it Neji could tell that Sakura wasn't in there, even though he knew that she had left months ago. He pondered on whether he should answer the phone or not but with the ringing getting annoying Neji went into Sakura's office and picked up the phone.

"Hello, Haruno Delivery Service. You name it, we deliv—" Neji was cut off by the person on the phone.

"May I ask who's calling?"

Neji suddenly grinned and gave a breathless chuckle.

"Yeah, I remember you"

#

The area around the land that the Hidden Village of Waves once stood on was nothing more than dead, isolated, lands now. It was abandoned long ago and there was nothing more than ruins. The sea had gone back miles and there wasn't a hint of water anywhere around.

But, still wedged into the dirt was a long knife. To those who knew it belonged to the demon of the mist Zabuza Momochi. After the final war the blade had been put back in its place, overseeing the land of the waves. Next to it was a small grave with a wooden cross that had 'Haku' craved into it. The wood was old and weathered but still stood strong, just like Haku's spirit.

At of nowhere, arrived, an old dirty gray wolf. He came up to the sword and gave it a sniff before lowering his head, the wolf stayed there for a long minute before looking up again at the ruins of the village hidden in the waves.

The Naruto Bridge had collapsed on the ground and that's where it remained, unmoving. It's nooks and crannies filled with dirt and weeds and it was home to small lizard-like creatures.

Almost as soon as it arrived the wolf had disappeared.

#

There was a loud beep that filled the silent air.

"You got a call from Suigetsu. He's in Healin. Says he's got work for you…Sakura, how have you been?"

"You have no more new messages" the message ended and Sakura closed the top of her phone to shove it in her baggy pants pocket. She stopped and lightly gripped her arm, she clinched her teeth with the sudden pain but it faded away gradually.

She was seated on her back motorcycle. An Uchiha Electric Power Company product no less. Even if there was a lot of bad blood between them Sakura couldn't pass up on a good piece of equipment. This bike had saved her many times over but of course she wouldn't give any credit to _him_.

Her attire was rather simple. Long, much longer than her legs but they were left unfolded, pants with several pockets, for items. They were worn and old but still useful. On her feet were strong boots and her torso was covered with a simple back tank-top, made from cloth, a bra and fish net was under it, stopping at her neck and shoulders. Her arms were bare except for her left arm which was covered with a black cloth that covered the whole arm. There was a strong arm protector above it with a wolf's head piece that held a ring for whatever use she needed it for, an old gift from her fallen sensei. The shoulder protector was tied across her chest by a belt. The last things were leather gloves, the same ones from her battling days. Her hair was still bright pink and at the moment it was tied back in a messy bun.

Turning on her motorcycle she put on her goggles and leaned forward but suddenly stopped again when a sharp pain went through her body. She stopped dead and bit her lip until the pain went away. When it did she just breathed it off and went roaring away into the land, heading for Healin.

#

_Meanwhile…_

Back up on the cliff where Zabuza's sword was resting three bikes were coming close, slowly. Each rider was sporting silver grayish hair, the one of the left had wavy short hair, the one of the far right had long, past shoulder length, hair, and the one in the middle was in between with his hair just brushing along his shoulders.

They came up to the blade, the wavy one and the long haired one passing it, while the middle one bumped into it. Annoyed, he gave it a kick and sat back on his bike.

"Hey, Kadaj? Is that where Big Sister lives?" the long haired one asked the middle one. His voice was the closest to their father who was long past gone, a sacrifice in the final war.

"Yeah" Kadaj agreed. He smiled slimly, his bright blue eyes were striking, clearly not his father's.

"Think she'll be glad to see us?" The long haired boy asked.

"Not a chance" Kadaj said

"Not cry, Yazoo" the wavy haired boy said quickly. Yazoo's chin trembled but he held back his tears. He looked away from them.

"But Mother's with her?"

"Maybe not" Kadaj answered, not at all bothered.

"Oh, don't cry Loz" Yazoo quickly said, a smirk on his mouth.

Loz, the wavy haired one bent his head down and for a moment appeared to weep but he picked his head up. He was the biggest one out of the three of them so he strengthened up quickly.

Kadaj just shook his head and then looking down into the lands he spotted what he was looking for.

"Hold on, she's coming"

The three of them looked over to their right and quickly saw Sakura's bike going through the lands below them. Yazoo and Loz turned and looked at each other, both smiling, then without Kadaj having to say anything they turned on their bikes again and leaned forward. Waiting for the wheels to spin fast before jetting forward off the cliff. Their bikes would all terrain so the rough rocks didn't turn them or make the bikes stop.

They rushed forward to Sakura…

#

Sakura picked up on them quickly and when she looked back they emerged from behind a tall rock. Sakura pressed a button on her bike and the sides opened revealing swords and katanas of different sizes. Behind her Yazoo and Loz picked up the speed and suddenly, in the dirt, came a bunch of black shadows that when they came close to Sakura suddenly jumped up from the ground and turned into demon like wolves. They chased Sakura and lunged at her when they were close.

Sakura grabbed a wide bladed sword and one of the wolf demons jumped high and lunged for Sakura. She spun her bike around and slashed its chest. It quickly dissipated and she threw her sword forward at the next one, it died before it could jump close.

The wolf demons were getting close and Sakura killed another one before Loz came to her left side and yelled "where's Mother?" he reared to slam his bike into Sakura's.

He threw his fist forward and Sakura dodged it by slowing down and spinning away. Before she could resurface there was a loud bang and something solid hit her sword. Yazoo was shooting at her with a knife that was also a gun. Sakura dodged them easily.

"We know you hid her, Sister" Yazoo said to Sakura when he got close. She threw her sword at him but he easily dodged it. They both attacked her in rhythm but instead of fighting with them she did her best to dodge them. She turned her bike away from then but a wolf demon slammed into her bike throwing her back into the fray.

#

"Don't tell me you're leading me on?" Kadaj was talking with someone on the phone, he was watching the fight with little interest, he turned away.

"Because I think you do have Mother there" he sat down on his bike.

"No need to shout" Kadaj said jokingly.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore…put the president on" Kadaj said, annoyed.

#

A wolf demon jumped at Sakura but she quickly slashed at it, it dissipated. Normally being outnumbered wasn't that bad but on a bike it was making it harder to fight, plus, the stigma on her entire left arm had shut down those chakra tunnels there and every time she needed to summon chakra or even more her left arm she felt a large stinging pain that made her cry out.

She was being overrun.

She tried to strike at another but her sword wasn't long enough to even touch the demon. More wolf demons were coming out of the ground and giving chase. Yazoo reappeared and tried to block Sakura but she moved her bike just in time.

Loz who was slightly ahead turned and went to ram Sakura headfirst in her side. Using her chakra and amazing strength she made her bike jump over him.

Loz, now even more annoyed, activated his weapon on his left hand. It appeared to be a double barrel Taser.

Sakura returned her blade and pulled out a longer and wider one. She ripped her goggles off her eyes and looked back at Loz. He came up to her side and swung his weapon but Sakura leaned away to dodge, using her left arm she swung her sword but a sharp pain made her miss her mark. Loz blocked her sword and using his massive strength he punched the blade away, landing in the dirt.

_Shit _Sakura silently cursed before getting some space between her and Loz.

Yazoo reappeared right in front of Sakura and drove straight towards her, Sakura didn't move and braced for the impact but suddenly Yazoo forced his bike to jump up and over Sakura's. Their heads almost touching as Yazoo smirked and pointed his gun right at Sakura's face. He pulled the trigger and the bullet hit Sakura right above the eye. She yelped quietly but didn't stumble. Yazoo sped up right behind Sakura, ready to launch his next attack.

More and more wolf demons were being summoned and they all crowded around Sakura. Yazoo and Loz back up, waiting to see what happened next, both had smiles on their face.

The wolf demons all jumped at the same time and Sakura bent down to protect herself.

But…

Just as they were going to hit her they suddenly dissipated. Sakura looked back at Yazoo and Loz. They gave her a final look before turning completely around and leaving in the opposite direction.

Sakura turned and slowed to a stop. She watched them go.

"Goodbye for now, Big Sister" Yazoo called.

#

"Humph" Kadaj watched his brothers come back, he looked at Sakura with an amused expression. Then he turned his bike around and disappeared from view.

Sakura was left watching him. She waited for another minute before wiping the blood off her eye and turning to head towards Healin.

#

TBC…


	2. The Unwanted Reunion

ItsukoAkatsuki: Hiya everybody :) Hope you liked the first chapter. Sorry if it didn't sound right, I had the sections divided but the line didn't carry through so sorry if it seemed weird. I'll divide them different to prevent that. Also there's going to be little to no Final Fantasy characters in this, sorry if you were looking forward to them. In the movie there wasn't any romance, really, in the movie so there might not be a paring in this story but if there is it's going to be Sakura x Neji.

Summary: Ten years have passed since the war between the five nations and Tobi's attempt to dominate the world. The term shinobi no longer exists and the world is at peace. But when the three sons of Kakashi try to bring back the once Taka member Sephiroth, Sakura must come back and stop them before it's too late. Based off the movie, storyline wise. Summary sucks but it's better than it sounds.

Also, reviews are really helpful :)

#

Chapter 2: The Unwanted Reunion…

Sakura was going through the woods to Healin. During the fight with Yazoo and Loz Sakura got a call from an old friend, she replayed the message as she traveled.

"What up, fool, it's Killer Bee. I am the man, ya feel me?" Sakura chuckled and shook her head.

"Oil, Pinky! I just found the biggest goddamn oil field you ever seen!" he laughed loudly on the message.

"Surveying's done…so I should be able to get out there and see all yawls real soon. So let everyone know, all right, Pinky?" The message ended. Sakura was silent; apparently Neji hadn't told him that she had left Midgar.

Sakura began to slow down as the trail turned and curved around the place where Taka was now hiding. They couldn't go around in big areas without getting shit from the people that were still hateful against them for what they did two years ago, not that Sakura wasn't one of them. Sephiroth wouldn't have been created if it wasn't for Taka, Sakura could've been spending the rest of her days with what peace she still had but of course Sasuke wasn't one for peaceful measures.

Sakura's phone beeped and another message began to play, this time it was Neji.

"Suigetsu called again. He says to hurry, but he sounded kind of strange…so, be careful, ok? You know I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them…" The message ended and Sakura closed her phone. She parked her bike at the wooden staircase that led up to Taka's hideout.

The hideout wasn't hard to find if you were in the air but no one really went around Healin anymore. It was a small town surrounded by trees and water; it was a nice place to settle down, and way too peaceful. It was surprising that Sasuke would hide here but Sakura hadn't seen him in two years so something could've driven them there, what that was, Sakura didn't know. She took her time heading up the stairs.

When she got to the door she didn't bother knocking. She barged in, katana in hand, and blocked Suigetsu's weak blade. Using little strength she knocked him back and he ran forward. Sakura easily stepped out of the way and he didn't stop until he hit the wood railing outside. Before he could step back in Sakura slammed the door in his face.

"Okay, so you're good." Suigetsu sighed and knocked on the door. Sakura ignored him and locked the door.

The side door across the room opened and Jugo stepped in. He was dressed sharply with his eyes strained on Sakura closely. Sakura took notice at the swelling on Jugo's face, it wasn't the stigma.

"Yeah, Jugo, looking sharp!" Suigetsu said from behind the door.

Jugo suddenly drew a blade but Sakura was quicker, she held up hers at Jugo's throat. Jugo twitched a little but slowly backed away, frowning. Putting his blade back in its place.

"Good. You fight like the legendary shinobi you once claimed to be." Sakura jolted, the sound a motorized wheelchair came from behind Sakura. Without looking Sakura dropped her katana and stepped back. _It's him…!_

A man cloaked completely in a white sheet came in. Sakura couldn't see his face but she knew who it was. He stopped his chair at Jugo; Jugo crossed his hands behind his back.

"Didn't know you could be so obedient Jugo" Sakura joked. Jugo just glared at Sakura.

"Humph…you haven't lost your touch" Sasuke Uchiha complemented; Sakura ignored it and lowered her katana to the floor. She was in no mood to hear complements from Sasuke, of all people.

Looking at Sakura, Sasuke frowned and couldn't help but remember his building exploding, two years ago. A image of Sephiroth coming back, he clinched his teeth in anger but released it and raised his head to Sakura who muttered "Sasuke Uchiha…" Sakura shook her head.

"Do I feel sorry for you" Jugo shifted around and cleared his throat, Sasuke turned to him for a moment, and Jugo looked away.

"The day of the explosion—" Sasuke started but Sakura interrupted him with "What do you want from me?" Sakura was losing her patience already, she didn't like being close to Sasuke, she might lose her temper and attack him but she looked around for a distraction.

"…I managed to get out…" Sasuke continued as if Sakura had said nothing.

"Who were the guys that attacked me? They looked oddly familiar…" Sakura interrupted him again.

"…before it colla—"

"I'm leaving." Sakura turned but stopped. Sasuke closed his mouth and lightly drew his hand up to touch his left eye, Sakura couldn't see it, but it was heavily bandaged.

"We need your assistance, Sakura" Sasuke finally answered, Sakura was surprised.

Sakura shook her head "not interest—"

"I acknowledge that the name Uchiha has…owes the planet a lot" Sasuke's hand turned and Sakura almost gasped at what she saw.

There was a lot of stigma on Sasuke's hand, so much that his skin was wrinkled and old looking. The more chakra Sasuke used, whether it was training or not, the more stigma he'll get, Sakura determined. Her medical side coming back for an instant but she turned her concern off, this was Sasuke remember?

"It goes without saying that my company and I…are the ones who put the world in the sorry state it's in. There for, it's our responsibility to set everything right again."

"I'm still out here!" Suigetsu called from behind the door. No one took notice and Sasuke continued "our first step…we have commenced an investigation in Sephiroth's wake"

"Yup, at the Northern Cave!" Suigetsu agreed.

"What do you think we found?" Sasuke asked. Sakura remained silent.

"Nothing" Sasuke answered, Sakura could tell he was lying but she kept that to herself.

"Nothing at all. You can relax" Sasuke's sharp remark made Sakura's anger boil.

"However, not everything went as planned. We were interrupted by the same three that attacked you."

"Kadaj and his gang"

The name was reminder enough, Sakura stepped forward.

"Kadaj? You mean…those were Kakashi's boys?" Sakura sighed "I should've known"

"It seems he doesn't want us finishing what we started. Really, what could they be thinking?" Sasuke turned his head towards Jugo.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"You're our buddy, aren't ya?" Suigetsu commented. Sakura kicked the door with enough force to silence him.

"Kadaj's group is young, violent."

"As if I couldn't figure that out" Sakura snapped back.

Sasuke smirked, "They are as dangerous as they come…and with this growing stigma killing us off one by one I decided that we need some extra…brain"

"Too bad, I'm a delivery girl now"

"You're the only one that I can trust…the only one we have" Sakura shook her head, _he never changes_

"Look, Sakura, even if you don't like to remember it there's no changing the fact that there was a time when all we could do was trust each other…when it was just you, me, and—"

"Shut your damn mouth!" Sakura snapped "You have no right to talk about—"

"—Times have changed Sakura, the war between us is over, and all I want is to make amends for what we—I've done. You can't forget what we had between us" Sakura shook her head, refusing to hear him talk anymore, and turned to the door.

"None of that exists anymore…it's all in my head, buried" Sakura unlocked the door and opened it but then she stopped. Something else was resting heavily on her mind, she turned around and asked "what's this stuff about…Mother? I know they're not talking about Hanare…"

"Why, did Kadaj say something to you?" Sasuke asked innocently, Sakura wanted to hit him but refrained. "No surprise…it was different when we were kids. Well, maybe not for you and me."

"There are plenty of kids that miss their mothers. That's the world we live in. I hear there are orphans living with you." Sakura remained quiet, her face registering dejection.

"Think about it. Don't you want to put smiles back on their faces?"

"All we want in the end is to rebuild our world, Sakura." Sasuke reached his hand out to Sakura. Slowly, she turned and took a few steps towards him but stopped halfway.

"But I…"

"Come on, Sakura" Suigetsu urged. "Together, we can rebuild Uchiha" Sakura's face turned back into a frown, she turned and walked out the door. Suigetsu was forced to move out of the way; in her leave she muttered "not interested".

"Suigetsu!" Jugo sighed and pinched the bridge on his nose.

"Suigetsu…" Sasuke glared at him but Suigetsu just shrugged. "Just a thought…"

#

Neji opened the door and Marlene ran in, running past the pews, straight for Sakura's flowerbed. This was the place Sakura stayed when she didn't want to face anyone. The church was old and nearly destroyed; almost the entire top right corner of the building was missing. Letting the sunshine cast down on the flowers, making them sparkle. Next to the flowerbed was a rolled out futon and some heavy looking cases, closed and locked. Against a pillar were a small collection of blades and tools. Walking past them Neji couldn't help but notice Sakura's headband lying on the ground, left forgotten. Neji bent down and picked it up, giving it a second look. Using his thumb he cleaned some of the dirt off to reveal the symbol that the five nations used as their symbol of the alliance. He hadn't seen that symbol in almost ten years, his headband was probably somewhere in the rubble of what was left of the leaf village. Neji's leaf headband was back where it should be, around his forehead, over his curse mark. He almost missed the pain that came from it when he was reprimanded by his uncle or any of the Hyuuga elders. He missed that almost as much as he missed his cousin, Hinata, she didn't last long when the stigma virus broke out but she was already dead inside since the moment that Sephiroth killed Naruto.

Neji stiffened and dropped the headband on the top case next to her futon.

"Does Sakura live here?" Marlene asked, turning away from the flowerbed.

"I guess she does"

Marlene got up from her place and went over to where the locked cases were, Neji followed.

"What's this?" Marlene asked Neji but all he could do was shake his head. He turned and looked at Sakura's futon, there was another case but this one was wooden and didn't have a lock on it but Neji's interest was on the thing that was lying on top of it. It was a long piece of medical tape that was darkened, reminisces of the stigma.

Marlene came up to it and picked it up, looking up at Neji. "It's just like Denzel. Is Sakura sick?" Marlene looked very concerned.

"Why didn't she say something?" Neji asked, shaking his head.

"Did Sakura leave because she was sick? Maybe she didn't want to make us sick…"

"No…she just…wants to fight alone" He sighed, looking away.

"Fight?"

"No. Honestly, I don't think she will…" Neji was quiet for a moment.

"Neji?"

Neji waited for a moment then he draped a reassuring smile on his face and bent down to Marlene's level.

"Let's go home Marlene" Marlene frowned and ran to one of the fallen pillars.

"No! Sakura's not here yet…"

Neji took the discarded medical tape and straightened.

"I know…I miss her too"

"Yeah" Marlene agreed, a smile was back on her face.

"So…say she comes back…"

"We'll all go home" Marlene answered.

"Not until…she gets a lecture"

"Uh-huh" Marlene nodded swiftly.

#

There was a flash and Jugo and Suigetsu were on the floor. Loz's gun had been the result of that. Kadaj stepped over them without a thought and went to where Sasuke was seated.

"Boy…do I hate liars" he commented.

"I apologize. This time you'll get the truth" Sasuke looked down; Kadaj came to stand right in front of him.

"The object you seek fell from the helicopter…while we were running from you"

"My Taka members were rather clumsy you see." Sasuke, actually, smiled apologetically. Kadaj didn't know it but that was something Sasuke would never do. Not for anyone.

"Is that right?" Kadaj questioned.

"I swear it."

"Fine, then swear on this" Kadaj reached into his jacket and pulled out a bloody name card. He threw it behind him and it landed at Sasuke's feet. The picture revealed it to be Karin's name card. Jugo's was there as well but he had managed to get away on the helicopter.

"Why did you do this" Sasuke's Sharingan flickered in his eyes. His anger rising at the small teenage boy, he hated the fact that he looked so much like his father.

"We need Mother's power. The Reunion is coming and we _need _her" Kadaj turned and his pupil widened, his eyes resembled a snake's but the light bluish greenish color around it deemed it not so threatening. There was too much innocence in those eyes.

"Reunion?"

"My brothers and sisters who share Mother's cells will all assemble. And together, we'll take revenge on the planet. We've already sent out the invitations, but you know…someone's gone and hidden the guest of honor."

"Invitations?"

"The stigma. But you know all about that, sir" Kadaj started to step around the seated Sasuke.

"Mother's memetic legacy lives on in the Lifestream and makes it happen." Kadaj shook his head "She does so much for us, and we don't even know where to find her." His tone softened and he bit on his lip, troubled.

"But what can we do, we're just remnants of Mother's legacy. Until we find Mother and receive her cells, we can't be whole again." Kadaj stepped right up to Sasuke and whispered "Geostigma and a legacy aren't enough. Not for a true Reunion."

"What do you mean?"

Kadaj grinned and shook his head, "but, sir, surely you've noticed?

Then Kadaj stood for only a moment before he went down on one knee and bowed his head. Sasuke said nothing as slowly, very slowly, Kadaj began to raise his head again and for every movement there was an invisible wave of power, getting stronger as Kadaj raised his head. The room around them began to tremble under Kadaj's massive chakra rise. Kadaj's eyes narrowed and the look he gave Sasuke made Sasuke think of Sephiroth, the distant memory of him glaring at Sasuke, those same narrow eyes and the same grin.

Jugo and Suigetsu shuddered with the power coming off of Kadaj but they merely watched.

Kadaj grinned and then Sasuke felt the sting of the stigma, it was growing, until Sasuke began to fall forward.

Unconscious…

#

Zabuza's blade was jammed into the earth once again; right next to Haku's grave, where it had been before.

Sakura held onto the hilt of the sword for a moment longer, angered that Kakashi's boys would have so little respect for such a thing, knowing it was important to their father. The leather on Sakura's gloves squeaked with Sakura's clinched fists but she repressed the anger and calmed down, a grave was a bad place to show such action, even if it was fair.

Sakura bent down and rearranged the dead flowers on Haku's grave. The flowers, despite being dead, had been flattened by Kadaj's bike. She prepped them up as much as she could and draped them around the wood cross, happy enough, that it was still in its spot.

'_I said I'd live out both our lives…' _ Sakura looked at Zabuza's sword for the longest time before shaking her head and turning away.

"Easier said than done…Naruto"

There was a flash and Sakura saw Iruka, his teacher grin on his face as usual.

"_So, you all want to be shinobi, huh? Well it's not easy work and you have to hang in there even if you think you can't. That's just a small job that shinobi must do. Never give up or give in, that was the words past down to us by our previous Hokage. Learn to be great and to be yourselves, this is just the first step…" _

Another flash, this time it was Naruto.

"_Sakura-chan, are you alright?" _

"_So, what're you going to once we get to Midgar? To tell you the truth I could use some good ramen right about now" _

Naruto…

Without knowing it, Sakura's eyes turned bright bluish green and the pupil became slanted.

"_Why…it's because we're friends, right?" Naruto was smiling like always, his big grin was so hard to resist, you just had to smile back. _

"_Sakura, run!" _

Sakura crashed to her knees right in front of Zabuza's sword. She grabbed her arm and lowered her head until it was pressing into the dirt. She cried out as the stigma pulsed, the pain getting stronger and stronger. Sakura could barely keep herself conscious.

She fell forward and the last thought she had was of Sephiroth's eyes…

#

The sun was still pouring down on the land where the old church stood.

Marlene was humming a song and touching the glowing flowers. Neji was standing behind her, watching her, and smiling slightly. He envied Marlene's simple happiness, even though there was a lot to be sad about she was still smiling and humming, her resilience was amazing.

Suddenly, the church doors were being swung open, and almost broke off the hedges. The heavy sound of boots echoed in the church.

Marlene, thinking it was Sakura, turned and got up. Smiling and laughing "Sakura!"

Neji looked at the entrance and grabbed Marlene before she got too far ahead. Neji's eyes narrowed at the man who had just entered.

It was Loz.

Neji backed Marlene up, past the flowerbed, towards a fallen pillar. His eyes never going off of Loz.

Loz smirked and reached for Marlene, "wanna play?" he asked her.

Neji's hold on Marlene made her unable to reach forward but even if she could she wouldn't, she was afraid of the big bulky man. He frowned and lowered his hand, stepping closer.

"I guess that's a no."

"Where's Mother?" Loz asked Neji, stepping closer again.

Loz stopped at the flowerbed and he gagged, looking at the bright flowers. He clinched his nose as if he was smelling fowl. He gagged again.

"Gross"

"Hey, where's Mother?" Loz asked again, his voice louder.

"There's no one here!" Neji yelled back, turning slightly so that Marlene was behind him.

"Fine. Play with me." Loz said forwardly, holding his arms up.

Neji pushed Marlene off to the side and she ran out of the flowerbed to a downed pillar, hiding behind it. Neji tied his headband and dipped low in a Hyuuga style stance, he had to use as little chakra as he could manage or his stigma would infect more of his chakra tunnels and the stigma shuts them down completely, making them useless.

Loz looked at Neji and laughed, "This'll be fun" he also dipped low, his hands at the ready.

Neji was the first one to strike. His speed was enough to surprise Loz into a standing position but he blocked with his weapon. Neji smirked and sent his hand up, right under Loz's jaw. It connected and Loz fell backward. Neji didn't give him the time to strike back, closing his fists, and using more basic Taijutsu he punched Lox in the face and guts. Loz was sent backwards again and he rubbed his jaw, amused.

Neji jumped forward with a spinning kick and Loz took a direct hit but he resurfaced quicker than Neji expected and Loz came close and shocked Neji right below the lip with his weapon. Neji jumped back defensively into the flowerbed. Loz chuckled and waited for Neji to run forward. Neji touched his lip, numb, but he shook it off and ran forward with a baseball slide. Loz easily jumped over him and into the flowerbed.

Loz was overconfident and before he could turn back to Neji he was right at Loz's face sending a flat palm into his cheek, in the same movement he get him squarely in the guts and sent him flying into the stone wall. Neji hesitated just a second to feel the small stinging of stigma. He had a small patch under his right wrist; he stung when he sent chakra into his palm. After being a shinobi for the most of his beginning life it was hard to resist doing it.

Neji, not waiting another second, jumped forward as Loz jumped back to get some distance. Neji jumped off the wall and standing pillar to give him a kick and it barely missed. Loz did a backflip and just as he stood Neji hit him again in the guts and then using his feet he propelled himself up and over kicking Loz in under the jaw again. Loz was knocked off his feet but like before he resurfaced quickly and was able to dodge Neji's next move, using his weapon as the block. Loz smirked.

They had a quick fight over who had more strength and Loz won it and threw Neji back with a full jolt from his weapon. Neji's entire body went numb as he tried to keep himself from falling. _What is this feeling? _Neji asked himself.

Loz jumped forward and kicked Neji back. He landed on his feet and Loz lunged towards him. Loz went to pin him against the wall with his weapon but Neji ducked, using his Hyuuga style for just a minute to close a chakra point in Loz's wrist, hoping to level the playing field. Neji pushed himself at Loz and sent both feet into his chest as Loz fell back, Neji jumped, but Loz caught his foot and sent him spinning. He crashed into the wood pews and they hit the pillars, destroyed. Loz finally left Neji go and it sent Neji flying into the stone wall above the flowerbed.

The wind caught the flowers and petals flew up and around Neji, he had landed against the wall on his feet. Looking up at Loz he clinched his teeth and flew forward at the smirking Loz. Again his speed caught Loz off guard and Neji dodged his weapon and hooked his hand in Loz's collar. He pulled Loz back and into the floor boards only to release him and kick him up in the air. He jumped and catching Loz around the neck he sent him crashing into the ground below. Neji landed cleanly, Loz didn't get up.

"Neji!" Marlene called and ran to him. Neji turned and smiled at the small girl, he bent down a little to catch her but they both froze when a loud ringtone suddenly filled the air.

They both turned to where Loz had landed.

Loz suddenly kicked the pew he had crashed into and stood up, he didn't stretch or make any movement that he had just been in a fight, Neji clinched his fists. _If I could use my chakra he wouldn't be getting up!_

Loz reached into his leather jacket and pulled a flip phone, he opened it without saying a word.

"She's not here." He said, his tone irritated.

"I'm not crying!" Loz suddenly shouted and Neji had the urge to laugh. The sight of a man, much bigger than him, crying was somewhat comical. But Neji knew something he was up and without his Byakugan he wouldn't be as quick to notice his movements.

Loz turned and looked at Neji and Marlene. "No, I got it…I'll bring the girl" Neji pushed Marlene behind him and dipped low again. Loz closed his phone and stuck it back into its place then he did something to his weapon. It extended with a hand rest and the two shockers came forward.

"Now, where were we?" he asked, dipping low into a similar stance.

But he suddenly straightened and kicked a wood pew straight at them. Marlene ducked to the floor but Neji crushed the pew with his Gentle Fist, twitching at the pain coming from beneath his wrist.

Then, without Neji's notice, Loz had reappeared behind Neji and stabbed him in his spinal cord with his weapon and sent his shock on full blast. Neji could do nothing but let himself get shocked. Loz kicked him forward and he began to fall but Loz caught him around the neck and sent his back into a pillar. Neji's vision was darkening.

Loz's weapon surged forward and the whole pillar exploded. The shock had gone right through Neji's ribs and he gasped, blood coming from his mouth. Loz then threw him into the flowerbed. Neji tried hard to get up but he fell back down again, his whole body was numb to a point where he was fighting consciousness.

Loz came to Neji and went down on one knee over him. He grabbed Neji's shirt and pulled him up. Neji couldn't do anything as Loz jammed his weapon into Neji's temple, he braced.

A marble looking object hit Loz in the head. Loz took his attention off Neji and let him fall into the flowers. Loz turned to Marlene who had opened one of Sakura's cases.

Sakura's case was filled to the brink with Materia, small objects that contained fresh chakra. They began to appear in the center of flowers after the Uchiha incident and they were expensive on the market, they were able to heal the stigma but not completely get rid of it, they were very hard to find, even for a shinobi.

Loz smiled with delight and got up. He walked over to Marlene, she had Sakura's medic tape in her hands.

"Sakura" she said before closing her eyes.

Neji was trying so hard to get himself up but it wasn't working so he yelled "just run!"

#

Denzel was shocked, the girl in front of him had said something but he asked her to repeat it.

"You've got the stigma too…come on, they're going to fix us" she said with a smile and this time she reached for his hand and helped pull him up. He went along willingly.

The girl was taking him through the alleys until they got to a truck where kids his age were climbing in the bed. The girl ran up to them and looked back at him, nodding her head to the bed.

Denzel hesitated for a second before walking closer and climbing in the bed, the little girl smiled at him.

At the front of the truck was Yazoo, he grinned at the children and went around to the other side.

#

Sakura stepped into the church, taking notice of the open doors and the broken pews, she looked ahead and saw that her case of Materia was missing. Sakura stopped at the flowerbed and looking at it she instantly saw Neji and rushed to his side without hesitation. She collected him in her arms and shook him, "Neji…?" he didn't move, Sakura began to get fearful.

"Neji!" she said louder. Sakura was about to shake him again when he slowly resurfaced. He breathed out and said "you're late…" Sakura sighed.

"Who did this?" Sakura demanded, she took a quick look around.

"…It…Loz, Kakashi's eldest…" he said, out-of-breath.

"Marlene!" he sat up quickly but then fell back, unconscious. Sakura looked around but saw no one, "Damn" she cursed but the she jolted.

The stigma in her arm was stinging again, like before. It was greater this time and blood started to drip from Sakura's mouth. She doubled over, releasing Neji into the grass. Sakura cried out loudly and gripped her arm. Liquid stigma had soaked through Sakura's glove and was collecting on the ground. Sakura couldn't do anything but brace against the pain.

Memories and images of Sephiroth plagued Sakura's mind. His vision was darkening again and she felt sideways. The pain increasing.

There was light and soon nothing…

#

TBC…

Thanks everybody and please review :)

Hope the battle scene didn't seem awkward and Merry Christmas.


	3. The Past I Wanted to Forget

ItsukoAkatsuki: Hello everybody :) Merry Christmas and hope you enjoy Ch. 3. Again I apologize about the section headings. I tried something different but that apparently didn't work either so I'm just going to use letters but you'll know when. Reviews are helpful so I can do better on the next chapters..

Character List (this is a list of which Naruto characters are replacing who)

Sakura = Cloud

Neji = Tifa

Killer Bee = Barret

Sasuke = Shinra

Suigetsu = Reno

Jugo = Rude

Marlene and Denzel as themselves

Sephiroth as himself

I'll list the other characters in future chapters, enjoy :)

#

Chapter 3: The Past I Wanted to Forget…

The first thing Sakura saw was flowers; bright almost neon flowers. The rest was surrounded in white as she saw herself lying next to Neji in the flowerbed but behind them was a dirty gray wolf. It was old but watching them with eager eyes, as Sakura looked at this wolf she couldn't help but remember a familiar face.

_Kakashi…no…he's…?_

Then everything went blank and Sakura found herself lying on something hard and a bright bulb above her, this scene was vaguely familiar. Sakura moved around but she was being pinned down by belts and her hands were tied to the bed.

_What the—? _

"_Oh, she's awake sir" _Sakura heard someone say from the shadows. A door opened and a tall man wearing a lab coat walked in. The symbol on his coat was a hawk, Taka. Sakura watched him closely as he walked around her. After he got to her left side he produced a sharp needle from the tray. It was filled with a bluish green liquid.

"_What is that?" _Sakura demanded out of the doctor. The doctor smirked and took some gauze and sterilized a spot on my arm, and then he flicked the needle.

"_Jenova cells…fresh from the Mother herself" _he answered but before he injected her he turned and called to the people in the other room.

"_I need you to hold her down" _he said to the men that came, even though Sakura was tied down the guards held her arms and legs down. One braced her head with his arms.

"_Now…this is only going to hurt…a lot" _the doctor laughed foreboding and Sakura tried to break away but with the restraints and the people holding her down it was impossible to move except struggle.

The doctor didn't hesitate before jabbing Sakura with the needle and Sakura could only gasp as Jenova's cells were forced into her blood system. She breathlessly yelled out.

She had never felt such pain in her entire life. Even though it was only in her arm her entire body was stinging, especially her chakra network. Sakura's body was limp against the table and her vision went away but before she blacked out she heard the doctor say: _"That's strange…this one is actually still alive…all the others died instantly…hmm…I wonder…Sephiroth…" _

Sakura's mind faded.

#

Sakura opened her eyes slowly.

She felt numb and tired but she kept her eyes opened and focused on the setting sun until her vision straightened. She was no longer in the church; she was in her old room.

Sakura jerked up but she felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and left arm, _that damn stigma again? _She cursed. Taking a look at herself she noticed that she was shirtless but her curves, shoulder, and left arm were wrapped up in gauze and medical tape. _Who?_

"You're lighter than I thought" Sakura turned around and saw Suigetsu and Jugo standing at the door. Suigetsu was grinning about something and Jugo was closing a first aid kit. Sakura swung her legs over the side of the bed but Jugo's voice stopped her, "Stop! You shouldn't move, the stigma is still affecting you, you don't want it to spread" Sakura stopped, against her wishes with a sting, and actually listened.

"Did you…?" Sakura asked Jugo, slightly nervous at someone seeing…!

"No, I just gave assistance; she's the one that helped you"

"She?" The door opened and Sakura could only stare at who was waiting there. The girl smiled at Sakura.

"…Shizune?" Sakura's eyes felt moist. Shizune came in and sat next to Sakura, on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too. It's strange; I got a call from Sasuke saying that there was something wrong with you and that you were dying. I rushed over and he was right…" Shizune explained solemnly.

"The stigma?"

"No, actually, it was the Jenova cells in your body"

"Jenova cells?"

"Yeah, they were reacting strangely but you're okay now but you shouldn't move" Shizune pushed Sakura's should back down and she let Shizune push her back down but something came into mind that made Sakura sit back up.

"Wait…what about—?"

"The Hyuuga guy? He's fine, he's downstairs in his room" Suigetsu jerked his thumb out the door.

"Hey, weren't there some kids living with you?" Jugo suddenly asked.

"Because they ain't here" Suigetsu said quickly before Sakura could answer.

Sakura was quiet as she slowly looked down and away. "You don't care?" Jugo asked. The room was quiet.

"I just…" Sakura closed her mouth and from behind Suigetsu Sakura could see down the hall at Neji's room door, it was closed. She bit her down her lip and looked away again.

Suigetsu sighed and shifted, "You're a real handful, ya know?" With that Suigetsu and Jugo turned and left the room, Jugo slamming the door closed…

#

The trees were tall and neon white. The forest was far away from any civilization, the perfect spot, Kadaj thought. He, Loz, Yazoo, and the group of kids he got from Midgar were crowded around a huge statue. Loz had Marlene's shoulder clinched in his fist, preventing her from getting away.

Kadaj turned to Loz and looked down at Sakura's black case, the one that filled with Materia.

"So Big Sister was hiding it." He went to the case and bent down to take one of the Materia, "this is the power of the Lifestream." He showed it to Loz then turned away from him. He held up the Materia, his bluish green eyes were slit again, his eyes looking at the Materia with hunger.

"This Materia will give us renewed power. Our chakra systems will be protected from the Geostigma, even for a moment. " He explained and pushed the Materia into his left arm, the Materia dissipated and it's energy went into his chakra tunnels, washing them out with new, fresh, chakra.

The place where he put the Materia in his arm was glowing, even from under his leather sleeve. He held it up for all to see.

#

It was dark out now. Sakura, against Shizune's wishes, was standing up and looking at the window. She had been quiet the entire time, her mind fighting with her as she worried horribly for Marlene and Denzel but her heart didn't ache, it had been hurt so much already.

Suddenly, Neji burst through the door, breathless, he must have just woken up. When he saw Shizune he let go of his held breathe.

"It's good to see you…Shizune" Shizune nodded, Neji, then, turned his attention to Sakura.

"Suigetsu and Jugo are looking" Sakura answered his question before he asked.

"…You have Geostigma, don't you?" Neji asked, his anger already rising, "so it's okay to just give up and die. Is that it?" Sakura didn't answer, Neji sat down on Sakura's bed and looked at Sakura's back.

"So it is."

"There's no cure."

"That's not stopping Denzel, now is it?" Neji looked up as Sakura turned. "Don't run. Let's fight it together. We can help each other…we have in the past, it's in our blood to work together."

"Or is it too late for that? Shinobi doesn't exist anymore so should that mean that we don't? That everything our teachers beat into us means nothing now? Does it?" Neji asked, angrily, he was tired of Sakura closing her doors to everyone, it had to stop.

"Neji…I'm not fit to help anyone. I couldn't help my family, not my friends" Sakura shook her head, looking down at her hands. "Nobody"

"Dilly-dally, shilly-shally…" Sakura slowly looked up at Neji, he wasn't looking at her.

"Dilly-dally, shilly-shally…" Neji said again, faster this time.

"I think he wants you to move on, man." Suigetsu suddenly said from behind them. Sakura turned, Jugo was with him. Neither Denzel or Marlene was with them.

"Did you find them?" Neji asked, standing up.

"No. Only a witness" Suigetsu answered, flatly.

"Kadaj's gang took the kids…not just them, the alley kids too, the ones with the stigma…"

"Where are they?" Sakura asked Suigetsu.

"They're at their base now. At the Forgotten City" Jugo answered for Suigetsu.

#

Sakura was speeding along the forest on her bike, alone.

#

The alley kids, including Denzel, were standing at the foot of a small manmade river, it was waist deep, and the water was clear, shining against the trees and moonlight.

"Mother has given me a special gift" Kadaj announced. He was on the other side of the river. Yazoo and Loz a ways away behind him.

"The power to fight…against a planet that torments humanity. She gave this power to all her children. That's right. You and I are brethren." Kadaj looked and smirked at all the children.

"Brothers and sisters chosen…when we inherited Mother's memetic legacy through the Lifestream." Kadaj walked around and turned his back to the children, his hands held up in the air, but stopped.

"But…the planet doesn't approve of that at all!"

"It's doing everything in its power to hold us back!" his voice broke in sadness and anger.

"That's why it's been racking our bodies with pain, filling our hearts with doubt!"

His faced softened, "now, let me heal you. And we will go to Mother together" his eyes narrowed and a white fire started to emit from his body. Sephiroth's power coming from within Kadaj's body.

"We will join as a family and strike back against the planet!" Kadaj's speech was similar to Sephiroth's.

The white fire flared around him and dissipated. He strode forward to the river.

"Do as I do" he told them then he went into river.

The beautiful water turned pitch black as Kadaj entered it. He stopped in the middle and cupped his hands together, water dripping from between his gloved hands. He held his hands to his mouth and leaned his head all the way back as he drunk the now black water. After he was down he held his hands up with a smile. He dropped them and chuckled.

The kids, understanding what to do, starting walking in the water, all of them. Each of them drinking from the river. Denzel followed them and hesitantly he did the same.

"Denzel!" Marlene called to Denzel but he didn't notice her.

"Denzel!" Marlene yelled again.

Denzel drank the water, slowly, and when he finally swallowed his body twitched and his deep blue eyes turned to a bright greenish blue and his pupils became slit. There was a flicker then nothing.

#

Sakura had been going through the forest, not seeing anyone at all. Her mind was heavy on what Neji had said. She tried to distant herself by looking at the neon white trees, the branches were leafless. Upon looking at them her mind suddenly felt like and at ease.

Sakura was thrown into a world of light. She nervously looked around but the space was empty.

"_You came." _a familiar voice said, blissful.

"_Even though you're about to break." _A soft hand touched Sakura's sleeve.

Before leaving Sakura had changed into her battling clothes. Her tripp pants from before had been replaced with long worn pants with that part at the bottom so that her shoes wouldn't trip on the front cuffs. Her pants were past her feet. Her cloth top was now covered with a white dress shirt with Gothic cuffs, the cuffs parted at her thumb, the rest covering half her hand. Her shoulder protector was still on her left shoulder, the belt was tied tightly around her torso. Her sword holder, it could hold up to nine swords, was also tied around her body and held itself on her back. Her hair was still in a bun, her left wrist was tied tight with a black belt so that her cuffs wouldn't flutter. Her dress shirt collar was up, not folded down.

"_You still have this…" _the soft hands fingered the first Hokage's necklace that was wrapped twice around Sakura's neck. The bluish green stone hung lonely on her neck.

"_That's a good sign" _Sakura felt Naruto's chin on her head. His hand clasped Sakura's leather gloved one and held it tight, like he was fearing that if he let go she would be lost.

"_So…why did you come?" _Naruto dropped her hand turned away from her. Sakura looked down at the flowerbed beneath her.

"_I think I…want to be forgiven." _Sakura shook her head, lazily, _"more than anything."_

"_By who?" _Naruto asked, already knowing the answer. But Sakura didn't answer, she paused, and then turned to look at Naruto but when she looked all she saw was neon white trees. Her bike racing forward. Suddenly, there was a sound of a gunshot and Sakura, instinct, moved her bike to the left. She looked ahead and saw there they were: Yazoo, Loz, and mostly importantly Kadaj.

Sakura clinched her teeth and sped up towards them. Yazoo and Loz were both shooting at her and upon a further look she noticed Materia was shining in their wrists, the bullets had more power into them each time they shot. The sides of her bike opened and her swords came out. Grabbing two, one long and wide, and one shorter but wider than the first. She pumped chakra into her legs to keep the bike in place while her hands were busy.

Kadaj pulled his double bladed katana out from its sheath on his back and twirled his hand in the air. Suddenly the alley kids jumped down from the trees and stood in front of Kadaj, protecting him from Sakura.

Sakura looked up and saw Denzel and Marlene in the front. Marlene was pulling at Denzel but he was motionless. She looked at Sakura, scared.

_I can't hit them_, Sakura cursed under her breathe and tried to turn but she stumbled off and her bike went spinning. The kids jumped out of the way, Kadaj as well, and it only stopped when Loz caught it with his foot.

The kids surrounded Sakura as she slowly got up. Kadaj emerged from behind them and walked up to Sakura, watching her with interest.

"I'm glad you could make it" Kadaj said cheerfully, bending his head down to Sakura's level. He chuckled at her.

"I'm only came for the kids" Sakura answered.

Kadaj shook his head and walked around Sakura, looking at the children, "See this girl? She's our Big Sister." Sakura glared at him, watching his every move.

"But alas…" Kadaj pouted, "In our happy flock…she's what you'd call a black sheep" Kadaj pointed his katana at Sakura, the end of the blades were almost touching Sakura's neck. Kadaj pulled it away and was about to spin back and attack Sakura but Marlene called "Sakura!" Kadaj stopped and Sakura grabbed the blade at her feet. She swung it back at Kadaj but he just jumped over it and away from Sakura. Yazoo started to shoot at Sakura and Loz ran forward, thanks to the Materia, he was faster than the human eye could catch.

Sakura blocked Yazoo's bullets with her sword, she barely missed one that grazed her neck and Loz jumped at her with a kick. She blocked him with her sword and pushed him away. He went charging and Sakura blocked him again, while also trying to dodge Yazoo's bullets.

Using his new speed, Loz sent strikes at Sakura but she dodged him but one connected and it sent Sakura flying back but she landed on her feet cleanly. Loz chuckled at her, not impressed, and this sent Sakura off. She charged with a yell and jumped up to slash him from his head to his feet but he got under her and flipped while kicking her in the guts, sending her flying again. She hit the dirt hard but right next to her sword. _Lucky me_ Sakura smiled and took it quickly.

Yazoo had jumped forward and using the knife part of his gun he made Sakura block him so he could kick her squarely. While Sakura resurfaced he sent a whole clip at her but none of them made contact, one grazed Sakura's arm, spotting blood on the white tree. Sakura jumped up and threw her sword forward but Yazoo caught it under his foot and climbed up the sword and jumped over Sakura's head, Sakura knew this time and dodged the last bullet in his clip.

Loz, letting himself be a distraction so Yazoo could reload, activated his weapon and smashed his hand into the ground beneath him. The ground came up and headed straight at Sakura like a tremor, Yazoo reloaded instantly and jumped over the flying ground, he smirked and chuckled at Sakura. _Child's play _he thought.

Sakura focused on Yazoo's bullets before she sent chakra through her sword and when it was strong enough she sent a chakra slash at the ground and it exploded, making the ground into harmless dirt. Sakura stopped to feel a sting of stigma and Loz used that second to use his super speed to get right in Sakura's face. He jammed his weapon into Sakura's stomach and she got a painful shock.

She jumped back and Yazoo propelled off Loz's arms straight to Sakura. Now Loz's and Yazoo's attacks were more coordinate so it was harder and harder to dodge them. Loz flipped over to dodge Sakura's sword and Yazoo went under him and pulled out his gun from its holder. Yazoo made Sakura block him with both swords so Loz could run behind Sakura and having no other choice Sakura jumped high in the air. Yazoo went straight for Loz and Loz shot Yazoo after her.

Using both the gun and the knife Yazoo and Sakura traded blows but none connected with its target. Sakura pumped more chakra into her sword so that she could kick Yazoo back, Kakashi's training had done them both well, and Yazoo shot his gun after her as he landed on the branches of a tree. One of the bullets hit Sakura in the hand and she had to release her sword. It fell and jammed itself in a tree. Sakura landed and went straight for it. She managed to get to it and swung up and over using the hilt and head herself on top of the blade, looking down she saw Loz smirk, he was at the foot of the tree.

Loz laughed and using his strength he punched the tree and completely broke it off from its trunk. The tree began to fall and Yazoo jumped on it and calmly walked towards Sakura, unloading his gun. _Shit, I can't get a hit in_.

Loz jumped up to them and punched the part of the tree Sakura was standing on and it shattered like glass. Both Yazoo and Sakura jumped up and soon Loz joined them on Sakura's other side. She used both blades to keep them at bay and when her attention was focused on Loz Yazoo kicked her back towards the trunk of another tree. Sakura landed on it, putting chakra in her feet to keep her from falling down, she put her sword inside the bigger one and jumped down to the ground.

Straight at Kadaj.

Kadaj was waiting for her. Sakura's eyes met his and his eyes reminded her of Sephiroth but she blocked him out of her mind and swung her sword at him but he easily connected it with his. Since his katana was double bladed Sakura noted that she needed to be careful and not get hers wedged in between his, he had enough strength to cut the sword in half.

Their swords connected a few more times before Sakura realized her fatigue catching up and at the moment Kadaj was too much for her. She slipped and fell onto the dirt, Kadaj stood over her and was about to sink his blade into Sakura's neck when a something loud clashed with Kadaj's blade. He looked away and saw a black and red cloak flying in the wind.

'_What…?' _Kadaj jumped away from Sakura, kicking Sakura's phone into the deep puddle not far from her.

The cloak came down and covered Sakura protectively. It spun around her and bullets came from within it. Kadaj used his sword to block the bullets, his frustration getting higher.

Loz charged towards the cloak and Yazoo shot back but the bullets melted before it even touched the cloak.

The cloak collected Sakura in it and flew up and away. Kadaj went after it but it was too evasive for him. It jumped around him and jumped up into the branches and disappeared.

Kadaj watched it go, _Damn it! _He cursed.

#

Sakura was seated in the dirt. Carefully touching her stigma infested arm. She was frowning and depressed.

"See…I knew I would be no help" she said, sorrowfully. She weakly sighed. She looked up at the man that had just saved her life, despite her personal anger at the man she just couldn't be hateful after he had just saved her especially when this man didn't do it for a living, more the opposite.

"Itachi. What do you know about all this?" she asked him, he was standing behind her. His Akatsuki cloak was old and slightly ripped, the Akatsuki were long gone, but he was still loyal enough to them to still wear the cloak, it was almost frightening. His looks hadn't changed and he looked no older than her.

"I come here often." He moved his cloak away so he could step forward.

"I've seen what Kadaj's group is doing." Itachi reached down and grabbed Sakura's left arm, she jolted with the sharp pain that emitted into her bones.

"The stigma" he watched Sakura's eyes.

"It's a symptom of alien matter infesting the body. The body tries to eliminate it and overcompensates." Itachi explained, he released her arm and got up to walk away.

"Inside our body is a current, our chakra tunnels, like the Lifestream. That current is what fights off any malevolent intruders" he continued.

"…What do you mean…intruders?" Sakura asked slowly.

"The Sephiroth Gene. Jenova's memetic legacy. Call it what you want." Sakura rested her elbow on her knee.

"You're well-informed" Sakura announced.

"Karin. She was brought here half-dead. She must have been brutally tortured." Itachi mentioned.

"I did what I could to save her but…well, we'll see" he shrugged, his lack of care for Karin showing.

"Tortured?"

"She had it coming. She thought she had gotten her hands on Jenova's head." It finally began to dawn onto Sakura.

"Then when Kadaj says he's looking for 'Mother'…"

"Heaven's dark harbinger. The calamity, Jenova." Itachi became serious "If they wanted to…they could bring back Sephiroth."

Sakura bit her lip and she held back anger, "Kadaj…what is he?" she asked aloud instead.

Itachi shook his head, "humph, I'd rather not know."

Before the bushes started to shake Sakura was up and reaching for her sword. Itachi merely looked but his stance showed that he was prepared. The bushes continued to move around, whatever it was, it was coming.

But as soon as it was clear from the bushes Sakura dropped her sword and caught Marlene as she crashed into Sakura, throwing her arms around her waist.

"Marlene!"

"Sakura! Denzel and Neji…" she tried to catch her breath.

"Neji is alright" Sakura answered her concerns.

"I wanna talk to him" Sakura nodded and reached into her pockets but was surprised to find nothing. Her phone was gone.

Marlene didn't wait and she turned to Itachi, "may I?" she asked him and he picked up his cloak.

"You don't have a phone?" Itachi dropped his cloak instantly.

"Itachi, will you take Marlene to Neji? I'm going to see Sasuke for more answers, I know he knows all about this." She began to hand Marlene off to him, normally she wouldn't trust Itachi with Marlene but she didn't have any options and deep down Sakura knew Itachi had lightened up a lot since the war.

"You know I can't do that" Itachi started.

"But I—" Marlene moved out of Sakura's hold, "forget it, Sakura" she looked up at Sakura, holding back tears. "Why don't you ever pay any attention to us?" she asked bluntly, she ran over to Itachi and hid under his cloak.

"Marlene, please give me some time. There's a battle to be fought…but it's not as simple as just fighting it. Understand?"

"No, I don't!" she shouted, still in Itachi's cloak.

"Sakura. Are you sure this is just about fighting?" Itachi asked Sakura. Sakura paused and looked down. Her mind once again returning to Neji.

#

"_Where are they?" _Sakura asked Suigetsu, _"at their base…the Forgotten City." _Jugo answered for Suigetsu.

"_Go" _Sakura told Suigetsu and Jugo.

She stood up and turned to them, _"I'm going to talk to Sasuke"_

"_Damn it, Sakura, stop running already!" _Neji shouted. _"I know. Even if you find the kids, you might not be able to help them. Maybe something will happen that can never be undone. That scares you, doesn't it? But you need to think about now. Really take it in. Look you think you've got it so damn hard. So, you hate being alone so let people in. Sure you don't answer your phone but I don't see you throwing it away either." _Suigetsu and Jugo were almost entertained with Neji and Sakura's quarrel.

"You go, Sakura, the base is all yours" Suigetsu nodded, then turned to exit the room, Jugo following.

The room was tense as neither Neji or Sakura said anything. Finally, Neji spoke, "which is it, our memory or us?"

Sakura's mind began to wonder and she was in the world of white again.

'_But I let you die.' _

"_Dilly-Dally, shilly-shally" _Naruto shook his head.

"_Isn't time you did the forgiving?" _

#

Sakura opened her eyes, Itachi and Marlene, standing in front of her.

"Are sins…ever forgiven?" she asked Itachi, she kept her head down.

"I've never tried" he answered honestly.

"You mean…never tried" Sakura answered her own question. The wind picked up.

Sakura suddenly looked up, a new look in her eyes, she reached her hand out.

"Marlene, let's go"

Marlene came out from under Itachi's cloak with a bright smile. She nodded enthusiastically and ran to Sakura.

"Well, I'm going to try" Sakura told Itachi, letting Marlene take her hand.

"I'll phone in the verdict" she said to Itachi before leaving.

#

Sakura's phone was replaying messages as it floated down the hole. The water was collecting in the phone but it was still working.

"It's me, Kiba. Akamaru says hi too" Kiba laughed in the speaker. "Anyway, how's work going? I saw one of your flyers, damn girl, how the hell do you stay in business? You never change, Sakura. If it's alright, I was thinking about helping you out, but I guess I'll call back another time. Bye" The message ended and another came on.

"Surprise! It's me, Moegi. So, hey, something happened and now all the kids from Wutai are missing. Have you heard anything? Give me a ring and fill me in, ok?" The message ended.

The phone finally hit the rocks at the bottom and it was quiet but for a moment, only a moment, Naruto's voice came from the phone, saying: "I never blamed you, not once"

"You did all you could for me. That's all that matters." The phone was lit for only another second then it went dark.

#

Back where Kadaj and the others were once standing, at the dark river. There was no one around but looking down at the water was the dirty gray wolf.

As soon as he was there he was gone…

#

TBC…

ItsukoAkatsuki: Thanks everybody and Ch. 4 will be updated soon. Merry Christmas all :)


	4. Jenova's Head

ItsukoAkatsuki: Hey everybody :) Here's Chapter 4, enjoy! Also reviews are helpful

#

Chapter 4: Mother's Head…

There was a crowd surrounding the monument of Midgar. The monument was now wrapped with chains and in a circle around it was the children under Kadaj's control. Yazoo and Loz released the chains they were holding and walked closer to the crowd of people around them. The concerned parents of the children were trying to get them to move away from the circle but they didn't move nor did they react to their parent's pulling them. Other people in the crowd were yelling at Yazoo and Loz.

"What are you doing!"

"Give us back our children!"

Yazoo and Loz paid no mind to them and gave a playful look to each other.

"Hey, are you listening?" A man yelled from the crowd.

"Why the hell are you doing this?" Another man asked them, braving forward to Yazoo.

"How can you sickos justify this?" A woman was holding a man back as he kept jerking forward but she had a good hold on him.

Yazoo looked at Loz and Loz nodded at him. Yazoo then turned back to the man who was being held back and raised his hand, palm up, at the man. The man stopped struggling, the woman realized him. They both watched him in confusion.

There was a loud roar and a wolf demon emerged from under the ground. The wolf demon attacked the man and the crowd began to scatter. A woman grabbed her child and ran.

More began to appear around the circle and the crowds started to back away. The wolf demons began to charge forward into the crowd and attacked at the people that ran around them. Another one appeared and hit people nearest it with its head.

Another jumped at a short black haired boy, biting him in the neck. Another ran past them and grabbed a man by the leg and dragged him away before spinning around and throwing him across the ground.

"What's going on here?" Shizune said, looking at the running people. Neji was with her, he looked around as well but when his eyes stopped on a familiar boy he ran straight to him.

"Denzel!" he bent down and closed his hands on Denzel's shoulders, giving them a light shake. "Denzel"

Denzel started to look up at Neji, his eyes opening slowly, behind Neji Shizune gasped when she saw his eyes.

"It can't be…Jenova?" Shizune came forward and pulled Denzel's chin up so she could look. His eyes were still light bluish green, the pupils slit, but suddenly the eyes suddenly flickered from his regular deep blue eyes back to the light blue green.

Back at the front of the monument Yazoo and Loz had picked up the chains again and together they began to pull.

"And what we up to?" a voice suddenly rang out, Yazoo and Loz turned to face Suigetsu and Jugo. Suigetsu had his round pipe and it was resting on his shoulder. Jugo's hands were bare but the look in his eyes was intimidating enough.

"You know, Mother, is here" Yazoo looked back at the monument.

"Oh, yeah?" Jugo asked back. Loz nodded and looked back at the monument. "Yeah this uh…thing…monument thing…Uchiha made it" Loz turned back and Suigetsu grinned.

"Oh no, you're just too clever" he tapped his head, Jugo stepped forward.

"Accept it, you're wrong"

"And wherever she is we just don't know" Yazoo clinched his teeth. Suigetsu looked back at Jugo and they both laughed.

"Hm…what? Are the peons not trusting?" Suigetsu glared at Yazoo but looked back at Jugo for something but he just straightened his tie and avoided Suigetsu's look. He looked back at Yazoo and back at Jugo a few more times before he shook his head and charged at Yazoo, rising his pipe, Jugo followed.

"He-ya!" Suigetsu yelled.

#

Sasuke was seated in his wheelchair overlooking the city. He was in a skyscraper that was still be constructed; her chair was pushed to the edge. His entire body was still cloaked in the white sheet. He didn't turn to Kadaj who stepped closer to him, his eyes looking to where the monument was, waiting for the signal that his two older brothers had found Mother's head.

"Say, Kadaj. I've got a question for you." Sasuke spoke up.

"Humph, I've got an answer" Kadaj stepped closest to the edge of the building and looked down at the streets below.

"You said that you needed Jenova's cells in order to be whole again. What did you mean by that?"

Kadaj seemed a little confused with Sasuke's question, _why is he always asking questions he knows the answer to? _Kadaj shrugged and answered "Him. He's coming back"

"Sephiroth. The nightmare."

"So they say." Kadaj didn't seemed fazed.

"You mean…?" Sasuke's eyebrows creased as he watched Kadaj.

"I've never known Sephiroth…I…I just sense him there. It's unbearable…to think that Mother would want Sephiroth more than…" Kadaj's voice broke, he bit his lip.

"Poor little remnant"

"It doesn't matter who she picks, we'll all have the same end!" Kadaj shouted out of anger. "Mother came to this planet after a long journey. To rid the cosmos of fools like you" Kadaj spat.

Sasuke was rather calm.

"But, you know as well as I do" Kadaj relaxed and took a breath. "Nothing's changed since she's got here."

Kadaj turned to look at Sasuke, "I have to be the one to change it. To make her happy…if Mother wielded it, I would do anything."

"Humph, the nightmare returns."

"As long as _you _exist, the nightmares will come again and again." Sasuke didn't seem threatened by Kadaj, not the youngest son of his once sensei.

"The Lifestream that courses through our planet…back and forth across the borders of life and death. If that cycle is the very truth of life…then history, too, will inevitably repeat itself." Sasuke's eyes narrowed on the thin boy in front of him.

"So go on, bring your Jenovas and your Sephiroths. It won't matter. We'll do what life dictates…and stop you every single time."

"Please sir; is that your excuse for going after Mother yourself? You don't seem that sorry…"

"Sorry? Humph, I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

The Materia in Kadaj's wrist started to glow and it emitted a strange hum. _Mother? _

Kadaj looked back at Sasuke, grinning. "Good. Now let's put an end to all this." Very slowly Kadaj raised his arm and the Materia's power started to collect around Kadaj's arm, glowing like fire, the color of chakra. The humming got louder as he summoned more chakra. The wind was starting to pick up with the chakra and Sasuke could only watch as Kadaj's hands came together in familiar signs. Taking off his glove he bit his finger hard until it bled, he licked the blood of his lip.

He turned, _'Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!' _A large seal formed in the air and the Materia shot through it straight for the sky. The sky suddenly opened up and thunder began to crack loudly above, lightening shot around the clouds as it spun and turned dark. The clouds began to funnel, the lightening erupting everywhere.

#

Two men who were running from the wolf demons suddenly stopped and stared at the funnel coming down.

"Ahh!" the man could only watch in awe.

The funnel disappeared and a ball of clouds started to get bigger and fall towards the ground.

The cloud started to turn into hard skin and wings emerged. The large beast roared and its face took shape. This beast was known as Bahamut SIN, a familiar monster that was summoned long ago in the final war. The beast closely resembled a stone dragon or a gargoyle. But this time, its wings and body were more metallic than it had looked previously. The wings extended out and SIN roared again.

The man watched SIN fly down, his friend was grabbed by a wolf demon behind him, he started to run but the force of its might wings threw him to the ground.

There were still people running around the monument, some weren't going to leave until they got their children. Kadaj's control of them was wavering and some were beginning to wake up from their controlled daze. But when SIN began to fly low towards them they had no choice but to either grab them or just leave, either way, they did.

Neji and Shizune were still trying to get Denzel out of Kadaj's control. The crowd around them was finally starting to get smaller. "This doesn't look good" Shizune warned.

"Denzel, we need to get out of here" Neji yelled at him, shaking him again but he didn't respond.

"Damn it" seeing no other choice Neji put his hands together in a sign and then he reopened his eyes _'Byakugan!' _Neji's kekki genki returning once again.

"Look at me Denzel" even though the Byakugan couldn't do the same things as the Sharingan maybe the pattern of Neji's eyes would be able to take his attention away long enough for Neji to lessen some of Denzel's chakra points so that his mind would reboot, washing Kadaj's control away.

"Neji!" Shizune warned.

"Watch out!" Shizune yelled and ran back to them. A wolf demon had seen Neji and rushed over to attack him. Shizune was faster and she stopped at Neji's back and closed her hands in a fist, ready to strike back, but suddenly SIN's foot slammed down on the wolf demon, killing it instantly. Shizune was frozen as it bent its head down and roared, making their ears pop.

Shizune took Denzel in her arms to protect him from SIN. Neji turned around, Byakugan still activated. "Great…him again?" Neji sighed.

SIN jumped over them and landed on the top of the monument.

Suigetsu charged with his pipe but he looked up and swung it backwards catching Jugo right in the nose, he fell cursing. "Whoa…"

Jugo stood back up, holding his noise, and turned to the monument. Suigetsu was frozen in awe.

SIN reached down and bit a chain in half.

"Hello…" Suigetsu mumbled. "Oh, shit"

Suigetsu swung his pipe around, and again it almost hit Jugo but he dodged it again. Suigetsu went running, Jugo followed.

Yazoo and Loz looked away from SIN to the running Suigetsu and Jugo. Loz reactivated his weapon and together they chased after them.

Suigetsu only stopped running when he past one of the kids still in Kadaj's control. Suigetsu, quickly, grabbed the boy and the boy stuck his fingers in Suigetsu's nose. "Uck…" Suigetsu looked up when he heard a cry and jumped away when Loz went to crash into the spot he was standing.

SIN's eyes turned red and he opened his mouth, different shades of chakra began to form in his mouth. He jumped up and hovered over the monument, the chakra cloud getting bigger and more powerful.

Suigetsu was running away with the boy in his arms while Jugo had one in each arm. "Is it following us?" Suigetsu asked, Jugo shook his head, "I'm not looking"

Then, SIN's chakra became its max and it shot it straight at the monument. Everyone went flying as the monument exploded, debris being thrown everywhere.

Suigetsu and Jugo were on the ground, starting to open their eyes. The kids that were with them got up and looked around, they were no longer in Kadaj's control. They ran off, looking for their parents.

Suigetsu got up first, his pipe sliding against the pavement. Jugo got up slower from his previous injuries, still affecting him.

Yazoo and Loz walked up to Suigetsu and Jugo. "Are we having fun yet, huh?" Yazoo asked them, Loz chuckled and kicked some dirt at Jugo.

"The time of my life!" Suigetsu answered with a fake laugh. Then he sent a spinning kick at Yazoo, Jugo rearing to punch Loz, Yazoo flipped back and started to send his own hands and feet at Suigetsu. Suigetsu brought his pipe forward again but it didn't get close to Yazoo.

Yazoo kicked Suigetsu back, flying into the pavement. Using his feet to propel him up Suigetsu got up and charged at Yazoo, "can't you guys call it a day?" he spun his pipe around and Yazoo jumped up and away. Landing on the roof of a two story building rather gracefully, not at all like his father.

"What? Just as soon as we find Mother. That'll be the end of everything." Suigetsu growled at him and went to the base of the building. Not using any chakra he climbed the building with his hands and feet. He went up quickly and flipped over the ledge to send his pipe down hard but Yazoo simply stepped back.

Back on the ground Jugo was fighting off Loz. They both reared a punch at each other but they used their free hand to catch them. "Damn punks" Jugo fought against Loz's power with all of his.

Loz forced Jugo backwards but Jugo fought to straighten himself. "What do you need Jenova's head for?" he demanded, forcing Loz backwards, kicking him in the stomach. Then he flipped backwards but Loz landed on his feet, both of them upside down. Loz smiled brightly at Jugo who gasped at Loz's strength.

Loz flipped over and threw Jugo away with all his strength. Jugo went a far distance, even past the building Yazoo and Suigetsu were fighting on.

They were trading blows but nothing serious was landing. Yazoo jumped back again, "forget you're little Reunion and get a grip!" Suigetsu yelled. Yazoo dodged Suigetsu easily and said "All we want is Mother!" he rasped and kicked him squarely in the face. Suigetsu flew off the building.

Jugo finally landed and Loz landed ahead of him, walking to him slowly. "Mother knows, when she gets here she'll decide what's best" Loz explained. "Now, where's Mother?"

Before Jugo could say anything a giant steel billboard hit Jugo directly on the head. He struggled to stay standing and a few seconds later Suigetsu landed on top of him, pushing Jugo to the ground again. Yazoo landed next to Loz, they exchanged a glance.

Suigetsu got up slowly and stepped on Jugo's favorite sunglasses, they had come out of his jacket pocket. Jugo looked at his glasses and gaped. Suigetsu dusted himself off and walked to the side.

"Mother, shmother. It's Jenova's friggin head!" Jugo checked his jacket pocket and discovered another pair of his sunglasses, he put them back.

"Hey!" Loz yelled.

"I will not have you talk about Mother that way!" Yazoo yelled angrily, his bluish green eyes burning. "You meanie!" Loz included.

Suigetsu laughed at Loz and Jugo wiped blood off his cheek. "Our apologies" he said.

"Your Ma's cool…what the hell am I saying!" They both ran forward, Yazoo and Suigetsu jumped at each other while Jugo crashed into Loz and punched him right in the face, he fell backwards. Suigetsu kicked Yazoo back, Loz caught his arm preventing him from sliding backwards.

Suigetsu landed on one knee and gave thumbs up to Jugo, his familiar fishy grin showing.

Loz scrambled up and charged at Suigetsu, "you little—"

Loz, using his weapon, punched Suigetsu in the temple. Jugo caught him but the impact made them both fly back. Yazoo jumped behind them and Loz walked in front of them. They both stood up, breathing hard, Jugo facing Loz and Suigetsu facing Yazoo, their backs to each other.

#

The monument was completely destroyed, only a crater stood for the once monument that symbolized the events that happened two years ago. SIN landed back on the crater and using its teeth it continued to dig into the ground to find Jenova's head. The city sign of Midgar was ablaze, not far from SIN.

SIN roared with anger when it couldn't find it, it continued to dig.

Ways away from SIN Shizune had lain over Denzel to protect him for the blast. Neji was next to her, starting to wake up, but he didn't move.

The ground shook and rumbled as Denzel woke up, he moved from under Shizune and looked at her, confused and then concerned. Thanks to Neji, he was no longer under Kadaj's control, his eyes back to the deep blue.

"Shizune…? Neji…" he looked at Neji, neither moved. Denzel clinched his teeth and turned to SIN.

"You son of a bitch!" Denzel yelled as he ran at SIN, no fear in his bones, just anger. SIN turned his attention to Denzel and roared at him, warning. Just then, Neji picked himself up and saw Denzel running at SIN, "Denzel!" Neji forced himself up on his feet but he stopped when someone familiar dropped his hand on Denzel's shoulder stopping him.

"Whoa fool! Better watch where you dancing or big dragon boy here might sweep ya feet" Killer Bee laughed and on his right hand, no longer a hand, but a large gun began to activate and it formed into a machine gun. "Get back buddy" Killer Bee pushed Denzel back then looked back at Neji, giving him a wink.

"Look after this little one White Eyes" He told Neji. Then he turned and shot at SIN, making him draw back. "Marlene better be safe, uh?" Neji didn't know but he nodded, "Killer Bee" he acknowledged.

With nothing more to say he charged forward, gun ready, but he wasn't alone. There was a flash of reddish orange and the Nine Tailed Fox appeared, running next to Killer Bee. They exchanged a nod before going after SIN. "How did ya get smaller Kurama?" Killer Bee asked the Nine Tailed Fox. Kurama's eyes turned blood red, "don't ask"

"Watch 'ya foxy boy" Cait complained as he held onto the Nine Tailed Fox's neck. He looked at Cait and growled "watch it cat, or I'll eat you".

Nine tails jumped up and bit down on SIN's upper cheek. He bit down and latched on even as SIN flew up and around. Killer Bee shot after SIN from below.

"Jings. Crivvens" Cait yelled. SIN flew past Killer Bee; he ducked to avoid SIN's claws. Nine tails dug into SIN's cheek but he wasn't getting deep enough and he was had to let go soon but it wasn't until SIN threw his head to the side did Nine tails let go. He landed on his feet and Cait was turned around, "my goodness" he said hysterically. Nine tails summoned chakra into his mouth until it formed into a dark red circle and then he ate it. His body expanded and then it returned to normal when he shot out a bright red blast at SIN. SIN landed on the ground and Nine tails jumped away from being swashed.

SIN got up and went to attack Killer Bee. Killer Bee's gun suddenly stopped firing, overheated, and Killer Bee blocked his head from SIN who was reaching down to eat him. Suddenly a demon wind shuriken came spinning in the air and hit SIN across the eyes. He reared back and roared. Killer Bee looked to the owner of the shuriken with a grin.

Moegi, no longer a small girl but a young woman, came in from a parachute and grabbed her shuriken as she came down. Despite being grown up her appearance wasn't much different than it used to be. She still had her strange pigtail hair but instead of her green goggles she was wearing the old leaf village head band. She was wearing a red tank top and short black pants. Her boots had lances even though they went up the leg. Lastly she had a mini sleeveless hoodie; it came down at her chest. The parachute covered her and she emerged from underneath with a bright smile.

"All right, whose been touching my Materia?" she demanded from Neji, he smiled at the girl, "the bad guys, naturally" he shrugged.

"Ooh…!" Moegi spun her shuriken around and ran for SIN.

"Who's that?" Denzel asked, he came back with Shizune who was grinning big. "Was that Moegi-chan? She's sporting Sakura's old clothes…" Shizune noticed.

Suddenly, without their notice, five wolf demon creatures jumped up and dove for them. Shizune clasped herself over Denzel and Neji bowed down in his Hyuuga style but suddenly a long pole emerged from below them. The only non-shinobi in the group, Cid, was here and he took care of the last wolf demons, they dissipated away.

He rubbed his teeth and looked up to the sky "she's a beaut, my Shera, latest model." A giant jet looking ship appeared from the clouds, it looked better than Cid's older model.

"I'll give ya the dang tour afterward" he said before turning away.

"He never changes, doesn't he?" Shizune said, hinting a little blush in her cheeks.

"Where can I buy a phone?" a dark voice asked from behind them.

"Itachi!" Shizune stiffened but Neji was at ease. Itachi walked from behind them and looked at SIN, not impressed.

"Who's he?" Denzel asked, in awe of Itachi's dark appearance.

"They're our friends" Neji answered confidently. His face then turned serious, he looked at Shizune who nodded. "I need to go and help"

"Go, I'll protect Denzel" Neji nodded and headed towards SIN.

There was a sound of someone's brakes rubbing. Denzel smiled and turned around to see Sakura come from the street behind them. She wheeled around them and stopped. The hidden compartment of the bike opening and her swords coming out, she started to take them and put them in her back holder. Shizune stepped closer with Denzel.

"Don't worry, I took Marlene home." Denzel released his held breath, relieved. Sakura looked at him and gave him a reassuring nod.

Sakura paused and announced "I feel…lighter."

"Hmm…?" SIN was flying away towards the construction sites.

"I think I lost some weight. All that dilly-dally…" Sakura watched SIN land on one of the uncompleted skyscrapers.

"I'm going back to see Marlene, okay Sakura?" Denzel suddenly spoke up; Shizune had been looking admirably at Sakura, _she looks…more confident. I haven't seen that in a long time…_

"We'll wait for you" Denzel nodded then turned to run off but stopped a ways away. "We'll see you there, right, Sakura?" he asked.

With a confident grin she nodded and Denzel didn't doubt her, he nodded again and ran home. Shizune got on the bike behind Sakura, "we need to get going, they need our help" Sakura nodded and closed the compartments. They sped off towards SIN.

#

Killer Bee was using his machine gun at SIN but they weren't doing much damage. SIN opened its mouth and shot out a chakra blast. Killer Bee jumped back and the blast landed on the ground and turned into a ball of fire. Killer Bee didn't have anything to land on; he was falling through the air. At the last moment he shot his hand up and he grabbed an extended steel beam.

From within the fire Itachi jumped out and pulled a gun from under his cloak, it had three barrels on it. Itachi landed on the steel beam and jumped away before SIN could grab him, he continued to shoot.

Cid was running to get in front of SIN. Using his pole as for leverage he propelled up and landed on the back of SIN's neck. Using the sharp side he stabbed SIN in his jugular. SIN flew up and under steel beams. Cid held on but ahead of him was a steel beam; SIN was going to crush him against it, but at the last second Nine tails, using Cait's rocket boost, caught Cid and dropped him off to safety. SIN broke off the top steel beam and landed on another, roaring. It turned around and went back to fight more.

Itachi went after SIN and jumped far after him, he shot at him until his clip ran out. SIN flew above him and brought his attention to Moegi. She couldn't take him head on so she flipped back. Itachi jumped off the steel beam and shot after him again, SIN roared in pain when one got him right in the eye, blood seeped out and hit Itachi along the forehead.

Despite being unable to see for a moment Itachi jumped on the steel beam that SIN was about to pass and sent more of his clip into his face. At the last second he jumped up and back, SIN clawed to grab him but he wasn't able to. Itachi landed on his hand and climbed up to his shoulder to get better range, he jumped from arm to arm.

Ahead, Moegi was running up a steel beam, glancing to SIN. Then jumping back she tossed her shuriken but it caught Sin on his horns, not dealing much damage. Itachi jumped off but continued to fire. Nine tails jumped at SIN again with Cait being more help than the last attempt. Moegi used a railing to jump high and she caught her shuriken, she turned and watched Nine tails and Cait fight SIN but SIN opened his mouth again to fire another blast of chakra, Moegi was motionless.

"Gentle Fist! Rotation!" Neji landed next to Moegi and wrapped her in his arms before spinning quickly. The chakra blast bounced off Neji's rotation and went to the neighboring building. Cid jumped back up and landed on SIN's face and stabbed him with his stick.

Killer Bee was down below, firing up with his machine gun, when debris from above started to fall towards them, he stared at it, unmoving, and right before he was hit someone caught him by his collar and pulled him to safety.

Sakura dropped him on a steel beam while she landed on the one ahead of it.

"The hell you've been, Pinky!" Killer Bee shouted.

Neji landed next to Itachi and Cid with Moegi, looking up at SIN. "Nothing's working…what are we going to do?" Cid asked Neji.

"We're just going to have to use bigger impacts…I would use my dragon flame jutsu but it appears to be immune to fire" Itachi noted.

"Gentle Fist is going to be useless; its body is too impacted. I can't get deep enough, its chakra network is too protected" Neji's Byakugan was activated, he searched SIN for anything they could use.

"If I was still the eight tails jin' I might've been able to do somethin' but it's too late for that" Killer Bee tried.

"Then what do you suggest?" Moegi shouted. "Kurama…" Itachi suggested, "his chakra is massive enough to make a strong enough attack or at least give us something to aim at"

Nine tails shook his head, "not a good idea, if I use too much chakra I blow this whole place up. I'm one for destruction…" he smirked; Cait pulled his ears "this isn't the time to be joking foxy boy" Nine tails bit at him.

"Let me" Sakura called from above. She didn't wait for them to answer, with one blade in each hand, she jumped at SIN and swung her blade at his teeth but he caught Sakura's sword and clinched his teeth so she couldn't wretch it from him.

Using chakra she kicked his teeth, knocking one out, SIN released her sword and while flying back she slashed at SIN's head but despite the fact that it was making an impact the damage wasn't large enough to take it down. _This isn't going to work…I need to use my chakra slasher_.

She landed on a steel beam and jumped far back. She put her smaller sword into her larger one and held the sword in front of her, waiting. SIN flew at her with a loud roar and Sakura jumped up and landed on SIN's horns. She slashed at the softer skin behind his head but SIN moved away so that Sakura almost landed in his mouth. She jumped up to prevent from being swallowed while SIN reared up and bit down to catch her. Landing on his chin she jumped away and summoning her chakra into her sword she ripped part of SIN's wings off. It's blood coming out and nearly covering Sakura. SIN couldn't recover and landed on its back down on the ground, but Sakura knew he wasn't done.

SIN roared loudly and decided that it needed to finish this now. SIN focused on flying up high enough to get all of them. He started to collect chakra into its mouth but closed it so it could power up by the time he got high enough to use it.

"It's going to attack!" Sakura landed behind them.

"Oh damn, Sakura are you okay?" Moegi asked worriedly after seeing Sakura covered in blood, "I'm fine but we need to end this now" Sakura watched SIN fly up. "Anything in mind?" Shizune jumped up, finally joining them.

"Actually…I do" Sakura looked at Neji, something new registering in her eyes.

#

Kadaj watched SIN with pride, amazed at himself that he was able to summon such a large and powerful beast. Sasuke didn't seem impressed but he wasn't going to say anything now, he knew what he needed to do.

"This is too fun sir. Any requests for the next act…?" Kadaj stopped when Sasuke had gotten up from the wheelchair and removed the cloak that had been around him.

Sasuke Uchiha was still young looking despite his left eye and head was wrapped up slightly. Sasuke's dark hair was poking out of the tape. He smirked and shook his head at Kadaj.

Kadaj's eyes fell upon the small black box that was held weakly in Sasuke's hand.

"Mother!" Kadaj could feel it.

"A good son would've known…it's strange what Sakura keeps with her in that old church"

"Big Sister had it…!" Sasuke's other hand went into his vest, getting ready to pull something out.

Without a care, Sasuke threw the box over the edge of the building. Kadaj gasped and felt Jenova's call…

_help me_…

Kadaj turned on Sasuke and collected a ball of chakra into his hand, aiming for Sasuke…

#

SIN was flying higher than the top steel beams could reach.

Sakura took a breath before jumping up. Killer Bee extended his hand and using all his strength he threw Sakura up as high as he could manage. "Alley-oop!"

Sakura hit SIN but she couldn't land on him before he flew up higher. She started to fall.

Cid ran right under Sakura and Sakura landed on his stick.

"Yee-haw!" he shouted as he attempted to throw Sakura higher, Cid didn't have any chakra to help, but it was more than enough.

SIN could no longer be reached by the construction site.

Moegi appeared and using Sakura's boot she used all her strength to pull her up higher. "Keep going!" Moegi shouted.

"Hold on kitty, I'm about to get bigger" Nine tails warned. He jumped under Sakura and summoning an old strength there was a large smoke cloud and Nine tails was now as big as he was back a long time ago. He caught Sakura in his hand and tossed her up.

"There you go!" Cait called.

Sakura braced her hands tightly on the hilt. SIN stopped flying higher and was now focusing on his chakra power.

Itachi was looking down and only jumped when Sakura got close. They reached for each other and Itachi's hand closed over hers. Their eyes met for a moment, and only for a second, there was a strange flicker that made them both forget what was going on but Itachi's eyes became serious and he mustered his strength and tightened his hold on her hand.

"Fly. Sakura" Itachi yelled, throwing Sakura up.

SIN's head reared back and he began to fly down.

Sakura was now at the top and Neji jumped and took Sakura's arm, their eyes landing on each other's.

"Ready?" Sakura asked. She moved to Neji's back as Neji preformed hand signs.

"Ninja Art! Hyuuga style…eight trigrams…one hundred and twenty-eight palms!" Neji called and using his feet he shot Sakura up the farthest using the chakra points in his feet.

"No giving up!" Neji yelled before falling back down.

With Neji's chakra flowing through Sakura she shot directly at SIN, the distance between them getting smaller. SIN shot his chakra blast at Sakura, large enough to destroy the whole area down below.

Using hers and Neji's chakra she went through it, enduring the pain.

Down below Neji landed with all the others, their eyes all on Sakura.

Sakura was past the middle when her world turned to bright white, a familiar feeling going through her.

_This is…_

"Ready?" Naruto appeared and reached for Sakura, she extended her arm to take his. "Yes" Sakura answered, she had never been so confident.

Naruto smiled and pulled Sakura up.

Color returned to Sakura's vision and she saw her target. She blasted out of the chakra blast and instead of going straight for SIN she jumped over his head and dug her sword into his spinal cord. Using all the chakra she could muster. Ignoring all the pain coming from the stigma, she ripped him in two as she ran up his body.

When she got to his tail she jumped up and left her chakra in his body.

SIN screeched as he fell, his entire body being engulfed in blue chakra.

Everyone watched in awe as SIN's body froze and broke into pieces. The remains hit the ground forming a crater. Neji let go of his held breath and saw Sakura land. She flew to her knees, hoping she didn't break anything. Her entire body crying in pain of the stigma. It wasn't long before Shizune got up to Sakura's level and gave her some of Moegi's Materia.

#

"Ahhh!" Kadaj cried as he shot at Sasuke with a ball of chakra.

Sasuke didn't even try to dodge as he was hit in the eye, the medical tape coming off. He fell over the edge but not before he pulled out his gun and shot at Kadaj.

Kadaj's attention was now on Jenova's head. He jumped over the edge just before the landing exploded with fire. Kadaj went past Sasuke, his hand reaching for the box.

"Mother!" he called.

Suigetsu and Jugo looked away from Yazoo and Loz to see the explosion above.

"Sir no!" they both cried as they saw Sasuke fall.

Sasuke continued to shoot at Kadaj as he fell. His Sharingan activated and he shot the last bullet at Kadaj. It went through Kadaj's finger and hit the box creating a large gash into, a greenish liquid began to pour out from the hole.

Kadaj stretched his arm and for a moment he felt Sephiroth's connection calling to him. Kadaj caught the case and flipped over to land on his feet.

"Sasuke-kun!" a girl screamed in the distance and Karin jumped to catch Sasuke.

Suigetsu pulled out a long blade and threw it at Karin. "Karin!" he yelled, she took it and sent it into the building. The blade held strong until it stopped, a ways away from the ground, she sighed cheerfully. Sasuke noticed Sakura in the distance, coming closer on her bike.

"I'll let you take care of _him_ now" he said aloud.

Kadaj landed without hurting himself and looked at the box, ignoring the green liquid for now. He heard the sound of a bike and turned, looking past Suigetsu and Jugo, to Sakura who was getting closer.

"Forget those distractions and let's go" Kadaj yelled to his brothers. They all ran for their bikes and got on. Suigetsu and Jugo forgot about them and went to help Sasuke.

Kadaj took the lead while Yazoo and Loz followed.

Without stopping Sakura chased after them…

#

TBC…


	5. The Battle Before the Last

ItsukoAkatsuki: Hey everybody :D I was checking around and I noticed that my story is the only Naruto and Final Fantasy VII crossover O-O yeah; I wasn't expecting that so…NO PRESSURE! No but so far the reviews have been good but I'll keep trying my best. Also I'm going to make a sequel and this one will be longer and I'm going to have a pairing but I want the readers to decide so in your reviews or just send me a message of what pairing you think would be awesome and I'll keep you posted of which ones have the most votes…I have no life! But it's okay :D Here's chapter 5, enjoy. And reviews are helpful.

#

Chapter 5: The Battle Before the Last…

It didn't take long before Sakura caught up to Kadaj and his brothers. She sped past Yazoo and Loz, focused on only Kadaj, she didn't have time to worry about them. Kadaj looked back and was surprised by how close Sakura was coming up on him. He looked to his brothers for support and they sped up on Sakura, intending to distract her in any way so that Kadaj could get somewhere safe, and not only because he was their baby brother.

They all sped through the streets until Kadaj started to head to the raised overpass that was incomplete, "tch…" Kadaj went speeding through it, he didn't have time for detours. Sakura had to duck so that the 'DO NOT ENTER' sign wouldn't hit her in the face, Yazoo moved to the side so it wouldn't hit him either.

Yazoo sped up and pulled out his gun, aiming straight at Sakura, she moved back and to the side to dodge his bullets. Loz pulled up and pushed his bike into Sakura's, the bike scraped against the wall. Loz activated his weapon and reared up to use it but Sakura waited for the right moment and slammed on the brakes. Loz crashed into the wall and it sent him flying against the other wall and back, out of the fight for now. Sakura opened her secret compartments and pulled out a random sword.

Yazoo, who had been ahead, spun his bike so that his side faced Sakura. Sakura didn't stop as Yazoo shot at her, she used her sword to send the bullets flying away. Their bikes clashed and they began to spin, neither of them letting up. The knife part of Yazoo's gun held Sakura's sword at bay and prevented her from using it.

Sakura finally wretched away her sword and distracted Yazoo by spinning past him, she sped off for Kadaj. Kadaj looked back and turned to the top part of the highway. Sakura sped after him but sudden Loz caught up to her and turned so that she couldn't speed up without hitting Loz's bike. Loz grinned and jumped off his bike, diving for Sakura with his weapon activated. Sakura spun around and slowed down to dodge him, Loz hit the ground. She spun back around and went back to chasing Kadaj.

Yazoo chased after Sakura while Loz got back to his bike.

Sakura went in the lower highway, looking up at Kadaj, their eyes met and he gave her a playful smirk. She lost sight of him when she started to go through a tunnel.

_I can't get to Kadaj with these guys following me_, Sakura looked back at Yazoo, thinking of ways to take them down without actually killing them. Even though they were her enemies they were still Kakashi's sons and she couldn't kill them, no matter how much she disliked them.

Suddenly, using the tunnel to his full advantage, Loz steered his bike up the tunnel until he was above Sakura. He jumped off and landed on the front part of Sakura's bike, she blocked him with her sword but it was difficult to keep him at bay while steering away from the walls and Yazoo, Loz's bike crashed into the ground and spun away.

Sakura forced Loz off her bike and he jumped back to Yazoo's and propelled off it while Yazoo unloaded a clip against Sakura. Sakura blocked them all with her sword and once again crashed into Yazoo's bike. This time Sakura focused on pushing him off using her swords, he used the knife part of his gun to evade her sword but he had troubled and several times he almost fell off, nothing but pavement waiting.

They traded blows but nothing was landing. Loz who was ahead of them, he had put his bike into autopilot, turned to the side and using his weapon he ripped up the ground below him and when slowed down enough, using his massive strength, he picked the bike up using his feet and shot it straight at Sakura and Yazoo. Sakura saw it coming and used her strength to push Yazoo back. He didn't know it but she was trying to get him to avoid it.

Yazoo broke away and spun his bike low so he could fit right under it, no part of him touching it. Sakura had no choice but to jump off her bike and using the opportunity she used her sword to cut the bike into two. She went in between the pieces and almost couldn't avoid Loz who was waiting for her. He went to punch her but she moved over him and used his back to propel herself forward. Before jumping off Loz's back she had turned around and kicked him to his bike where an electric shock emitted and the bike exploded. _One down_ Sakura turned to her bike and Yazoo.

But using his super speed Loz suddenly appeared on Sakura's bike, at the same moment she landed on it. Sakura couldn't strike back as Loz kicked her in the air again and used his speed to hit her in the back, continuing this again. Sakura couldn't fight back but she kicked Loz away but before Sakura could land back on her bike Yazoo jumped on it and jumped at her, reloading and using his clip at Sakura. Loz reappeared and distracted Sakura enough for Yazoo to reload again and shoot at Sakura. She kicked Loz back again and turned to strike Yazoo but Loz came back quicker than Sakura could react against so she took out the sword that was still in her holder and used it to stop Loz.

It wasn't long before they started to fall back to the ground, Loz and Yazoo chuckled with delight, Sakura needed to end this now.

Summoning chakra into her blades she used her strength to break away from Loz and Yazoo but before they could do anything she used her swords to cut into Yazoo's gun and Loz's weapon. Loz flew backwards in shock as his weapon was almost cut in two. Loz ripped it off before it exploded and threw it to the wall.

Yazoo sped up to catch Loz before he hit the pavement. Sakura sped past them, Yazoo and Loz watched her drive off. Yazoo looked back down, hesitating, and before starting after her he threw his gun to the ground. The barrel had been cut off.

#

Kadaj was the only one going down the highway. When he drove down the other highway he was glad to see that no one was chasing him, he began to relax.

#

Suigetsu and Jugo were standing at the end of the tunnel, Suigetsu's helicopter next to them. They waited and watched for anyone to come from the tunnel. Jugo tossed something at Suigetsu, it was a circular object with what looked like dynamite taped around it, Suigetsu was still skeptical of Jugo's bomb making so he held it up and asked "Hey, partner…this thing…does it got any bite to it?" Jugo held up his "Uchiha technology at its finest" Suigetsu chuckled.

"Oh, so you made this?"

Jugo nodded, "if nothing else, it's flashy"

"Oh good" Suigetsu grinned his fishy grin.

"You love it, I know" Jugo turned back to the tunnel.

"It looks like today we're clocking out early"

They didn't have to wait long before Sakura went blazing past them, she didn't even stop nor did she look at them, her attention was solely rooted on Kadaj.

"Go get them kid" Suigetsu said as Sakura passed.

Yazoo and Loz were coming out of the tunnel. Suigetsu put the bombs in the road in front of him, setting it for ten seconds.

"Now let's sit back and watch the show" Suigetsu said lazily.

Yazoo and Loz couldn't stop before they hit the bombs and the impact was bigger than anyone would've expected. Sakura had to turn to the side to keep herself from falling over from the shockwave. The blast from the bomb had different colors showing that Jugo had stuck fireworks to it as well.

Sakura decided to use the shockwave as a way to propel herself down where Kadaj was. She gripped her sword tight and held it over her head to hit Kadaj.

Kadaj had somehow seen Sakura coming and he pulled his double bladed katana out and blocked Sakura's sword. He moved his bike away so Sakura's didn't hit his.

"You shouldn't have kept Mother from me!" Kadaj yelled, Sakura's eyes landed on her miniature black case which was still tucked in Kadaj's arm. That case had been hiding in her old wooden case, no one expected to look in there for something like Jenova's head.

The highway ahead of them was ending and they didn't stop nor move away as their bikes went over the end. Sakura drew back to keep her bike level as they hit the ground beneath them. Kadaj hit the ground hard but his bike held up, Sakura charged forward and threw her sword straight at Kadaj, it barely missed him and in the meantime Kadaj had sent his blade forward and it caught Sakura's sleeve, the stigma under it burned at the gash Kadaj created.

The rocks in the dirt were making it difficult to keep Sakura's bike from falling over, she drew back away from Kadaj cupped her hand over her gash. He moved over to a small entryway in the rocks and jumped over the bottom. Sakura went over it and stopped, Kadaj went speeding off.

_Shit_, Sakura sighed and moved her arm around. She opened her secret compartments and put her sword back. She then looked at her sleeve, she ripped the top of it off and the only part of her sleeve that remained was at her wrist where it was tied by a belt. The geostigma underneath was starting to look darker, it was beginning to spread, but Sakura didn't have a choice. It was going to take more than her simple human strength to fight Kadaj and even her chakra wouldn't help her if she had to fight Sephiroth, something she was hoping didn't happen.

Without missing another second she leaned forward and went after Kadaj.

#

Kadaj went inside the old church and stopped in the flowerbed. He paused to catch his breath, he gripped the case before turning it over to see through the hole.

"Mother!" his expression softened then something new washed over him. He hesitatingly held his hand over the case, almost like he was afraid. Instead, he dropped his hand over the case in a caress "Mother…" his eyes began to get moist with tears and he brought the case to his chest "Mother!" he lightly sobbed.

His chin quivered as the warm tears went down his cheeks. He clinched the case tight in his arms as he leaned forward in a loud yell.

_What's wrong…Kadaj? _a voice asked, it was all too familiar to Kadaj. He looked up slowly, "…father…?"

Kadaj closed his eyes, feeling himself remember.

_He was a small boy. He had been running in an open plain, the grass was tall enough to hide his entire body. He was on the ground now, holding his knee and crying. He had fallen down and ripped his knee up bad, blood almost covered his kneecap. He sniffed loudly and yelled "Father!" Kadaj didn't have to wait long before his father, Kakashi Hatake, came walking up to him and crouching down. _

"_Don't cry Kadaj, it's just a small wound." Kakashi reached for him and Kadaj went to the circle of his arms as Kakashi picked him up. "Let's go home and get it cleaned up" Kadaj could barely see his father's face due to his mask but Kadaj smiled warmly at him. "Uh-huh" _

"_It's just a little scratch" Loz remarked as Kakashi wrapped it up. "Shut up Loz" Kadaj yelled at his older brother. "You shut up, you're the one crying you baby" _

_Yazoo sighed, not paying attention to his brothers. _

"_You didn't see it, there was blood everywhere" _

"_So what? Shinobi don't cry"_

"_You're one to talk Loz" Yazoo commented. Loz glared at Yazoo but said nothing because Kakashi had cleared his throat and they knew that meant to stop talking. _

"_Kadaj is still young so it's not a bad thing that he cries, it's a child's way of protecting themselves…believe it or not" Kakashi explained._

"_But isn't it against the rules of a Shinobi to cry?" Loz asked his father. "Well yes but shinobi aren't children either, they are more tougher. Kadaj is only three so it's a natural thing. Just like you Loz he'll get tougher and he won't cry when he gets hurt" Kakashi smiled from beneath his mask, "besides even adults can cry but that usually doesn't happen unless something terrible happens to them…" Kakashi fell silent. _

"_Like what happened to mother?" Yazoo asked, Kakashi hesitated before agreeing, his voice above a whisper, "Yes, just like with Hanare…"_

Kadaj opened his eyes, he was back in the present. His hands were hurting from holding the case so tightly. He released it to wipe the tears away from his eyes, "Shinobi…don't cry" he told himself.

"Kadaj!" he heard from behind the church doors. He looked and saw Sakura from behind them, "tch…".

Sakura moved her bike up to do a wheelie so she could crash through the doors without breaking them. Kadaj turned his bike and using the Materia in his wrist he summoned chakra into his hand, but instead of aiming at Sakura he shot the blast at a pillar and it began to fall down. Sakura broke through the doors and Kadaj used his strength to make the bike jump onto the fallen pillar, he smirked at Sakura as he drove up it and out of the church.

Sakura had to turn her bike to the side and down as she ran into pews trying to get under the pillar without being crushed. She made it cleanly and spun into the flowerbed, she stopped and looked up at Kadaj.

Kadaj shot another blast at Sakura and she jumped off her bike to dodge it. Her bike flew backwards and the blast landed in the flowerbed.

Kadaj laughed at Sakura and waited to see if she was hit. Sakura got up, the dirt from the flowerbed hid her from Kadaj, she gripped her arm in pain, the stigma was burning.

The dirt started to thin and Kadaj saw Sakura and prepared another blast.

Suddenly, from where the flowerbed once stood, water started to come up and on its own it began to float up and over them, pouring down like rain.

_The Lifestream?_

_How irritating…_

Sakura moved her hand away from her wound and left her hand palm up to touch the rain, the rain wasn't cold nor hot.

The water collected like a tidal wave at Kadaj, the Lifestream focusing on Jenova's head. Kadaj held the case away and revved his bike.

Sakura flinched when the stigma covering her left arm started to weaken and when she looked at it she was shocked to see that it was being dissolved away. Nothing left but a green glow and the natural color of her skin.

Kadaj didn't wait any longer he revved up and away from the church.

The rain stopped and the hole from the chakra blast was filling up with water. A single drop hit the surface and Sakura heard _"let's go, Sakura" _

Sakura went to her bike and exited the church. She headed to the remains of Sasuke's once powerful gun, the old city of Midgar around it.

_This is it…I can feel him getting closer…_

Sakura felt her Jenova cells react in her bloodstream. She felt strength as she headed to the place where it all began…

#

TBC…

ItsukoAkatsuki: Just so everyone knows the next chapter will be a flashback about the first time Sakura fought with Sephiroth, it will explain everything that happened to Naruto and everyone else. Also, sorry if this chapter was short, I had to end it here. Hope you like it so far ^-^


	6. The Battles That Started it All

ItsukoAkatsuki: Hello everyone :) Some more on the character list, blah blah, whatever I hope you enjoy the chapter. Also reviews are helpful :) By the way this chapter is a flashback and explains everything. The first fight with Sephiroth, how Sakura got Jenova cells, how Naruto got killed, and other stuff.

Character List (Naruto characters that are replacing the final fantasy characters)

Naruto = Arieth

Kiba = Reeve

Nine Tailed Fox = Red XII

Cid and Cait (Robotic Scottish Cat) = Themselves

Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz = themselves only they are Kakashi's sons in this story

The Dirty Gray Wolf = Kakashi's spirit, if you didn't already know

Shizune =? (I'm not sure if she's going to replace a character but she's still in this story)

#

Chapter 6: The Battles that Started it All…

_Two Years Ago…_

Sakura gasped and opened her eyes. The intense pain she had felt previously was gone now but the thought of it was making her shake. The bright lamp was still on above and the straps and bands that had been holding her down were now gone and the only thing attached to her body was the stick-on for the heart monitor and the tube attached to her arm. She was still lying on the hard metal table and she was still in the pure white room with the one-sided mirror. The door was hidden into the wall but Sakura knew from memory where it was. Taking her time getting up she took off the heart monitor stickers and before taking the tube out she saw what it was attached to. The bag was filled with a strange bright bluish green liquid that had particles swimming around in it.

Sakura could remember the same liquid getting injected into her arm earlier but the pain she got from it had hurt like nothing she had ever felt before. Her veins were on fire but now the she felt nothing as the same liquid dripped down into her bloodstream.

Sakura didn't know if anyone was watching her from behind the window but so far no one had come in and she had been moving around and removing the things attached to her. Waiting for just another moment she gripped the tube and biting down on her lip she yanked it out and the bluish liquid mixed with some of her blood stained the white floor below. She cupped her arm where the needle was and summoned chakra to heal the wound but as soon as she tried she got a horrible pain in the bottom of her hand that made her stop instantly. She looked at her and even touched it but there was nothing but numbness. _What was that? _Her finger skimmed her arm but she still felt only numbness. The pain had only come when she summoned chakra so she tried it again but this time her entire arm stung.

"Ahh…ow" she bit down on her lip for reassurance; the pain went away as fast as it had come. _Okay, let's not try that again_

Sakura decided to focus on getting out and before she swung her legs over the edge of the table she noticed that she was not wearing what she had on earlier. Other than her red underwear she was practically naked. On her front to cover her curves was a thin white sheet that stopped at her waist. It was attached to her skin by tape and her back was bear.

"Ugh…" The thought of men she didn't know seeing her torso naked made Sakura want to gag, her face grew hot with blush. Ignoring it she jumped down on the floor and she did it too quickly so as soon as she stood she fell on her knees. Her legs felt rubbery as she tried to stand up, she used the wall to help. Pushing her back against the wall she started to feel dizzy and light-headed.

_Why do I feel sick? _She sank to her bottom and before she could prevent it she was starting to black out.

#

Naruto wanted to strangle Kiba and if Kakashi hadn't held him back he just might have. Naruto and the others had just returned from the last meeting with A.V.A.L.A.N.C.H.E before the attack to find Kiba by himself and Sakura gone.

"Hey, why are you getting mad at me? It wasn't me that disobeyed your orders" Kiba rubbed his neck where Naruto's hands had been, Akamaru whimpered.

"Kiba, what happened?" Tsunade took his jacket collar and tried to keep her anger in check.

"We were just going over the map and Sakura wanted to do one last check of the area so I let her, I didn't think she would go in" Kiba explained but he was already in a lot of hot water.

"Idiot!" Tsunade bashed him over the head. "Now is the wrong time to just think nothing will happen"

"I'm going in to get her" Naruto suddenly said.

"Yeah right, idiot, we need you in the main group to lead the attack against the Lifestream gun. I'll have someone else go in."

"Someone like Lee or Ten-ten" Kakashi suggested and Tsunade nodded.

"No way, it's not time for the attack yet. I'll be back before we attack"

"Did you just hear me?" Tsunade flared.

"I'm going in whether you like it or not Granny" Naruto said back and Tsunade reared to punch him but Kakashi stopped her.

"Let him, even if we tie him down he'll still do it. You should know this by now Lady Tsunade, he won't let us down" Kakashi grinned from beneath his mask.

Tsunade calmed down in a huffy sigh then glared at Naruto, "you better be back and I'll deal with Sakura when you get back. Huh…" she sighed again, "I'm going back to headquarters to make sure anyone is ready…"

"Don't worry Granny!" Naruto said with a large grin, Kakashi just shrugged. "Just don't blow up the building Naruto" Naruto nodded then his expression turned serious.

"Kiba, do you still have the map" Kiba gave it to him without a word; he didn't want to get beat around again.

After taking a second to study the map to find one of the secret entrances he tossed the map back at Kiba and rushed to find Sakura.

#

Sasuke was actually pleased. He was looking at the gun extending out of the building, the final preparations were being finished and soon the city of Midgar would be the first of many to see its mighty power. _Tobi would be happy, his wishes are finally happening_

The door behind him opened and Karin walked in, with a little blush on her cheeks she asked in a feathery voice "Do you need anything Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke didn't even turn when he answered "go and make sure that everything is going the way it should"

Karin pouted and waved her hand "I'll get Suigetsu or Jugo on that. Are you sure you don't need anything Sasuke-kun?" she blushed again and turned slightly to show off her narrow waist.

But Sasuke's tone lowered and almost threating told her "go Karin" she flinched at his voice and with a frown replied "yes Sasuke-kun" she left disappointed.

"Everything is coming together. I can't accept a failure now, it's taken eight years for this to happen. I won't let anyone mess it up. Tobi is tired of waiting" Sasuke said aloud to himself. He loosened his shirt collar a little, the stigma on his neck was starting to hurt again. Striding to the right side of his room he opened one of the file cabinets and reaching inside he pulled out some Materia. He didn't like the brightly colored marbles but the fresh chakra healed his stigma. Without flinching he forced the Materia into his throat and he coughed but the fresh chakra cleared his chakra network out and the stinging of the stigma went away.

Sasuke was quiet until he heard a knock, he sighed. "What is it?" he was hoping that it wasn't Karin again; although she was still useful to him she was beginning to get really annoying.

Instead of Karin, a nameless Taka member came in and bowed before Sasuke.

"Uchiha-sama, the girl you insisted on Jenova injection is awake now. She seems to be taking the Jenova cells well, no one has been able to take it without dying except…" the Taka member didn't finish his sentence.

"Ah…Sakura" Sasuke whispered to himself. Then to the Taka member "good, go back to your post, we'll be starting soon" the Taka member bowed again before leaving.

"I knew it from the beginning. You were more than normal, Sakura, I knew you were special from the moment I began to know you. It's too bad though…" Sasuke paused and said nothing more as he watched the sights outside the window.

#

Sakura woke up with a start. She looked around and found herself on the floor but still sitting up. Her body was aching and there was a strange hum in her head that made her dizzy. _At least I don't feel sick anymore_

Sakura wiped the sweat that was building on her forehead and sighed. She didn't feel nauseous but she felt really warm and cramped. She laid her head on her forehead and noted it's warmness, her medical side denounced that she was experiencing a fever and it was probably from all that nameless liquid that had been injected at her, a side effect maybe.

She must have been out for a long time because the bag was now empty and the nameless liquid was now all over the floor.

"I need to get out of here" Sakura said breathlessly and she forced herself up, ignoring her weak legs, and went over to where the door was. The door was hidden within the wall so the person inside wouldn't be able to find it, a trap to keep the person inside.

Sakura felt the wall until her fingers found the narrow cranny where the door was. She gripped the edge and she pulled but the door wasn't giving away. _Do I try this again?_ Sakura took a deep breath and using her chakra she tried to jerk the door free but that pain was back and her arms felt the sharpest sting that she gasped and fell to her knees. _Damn it, what is wrong with my chakra network? I don't have any stigma_

"Please do not tell me that I can't get out of here." Sakura balled her hand in a fist and hit the door but of course with her normal strength it wasn't going to give away so she decided to take her attention to the one-sided mirror.

Sakura wasn't going to waste any time with the mirror, hoping it wasn't shatter proof; she knocked everything off the metal table and picked it up enough to get a good enough grip on it then she threw it into the mirror but like she had feared it stayed solid and bounced off without a scratch. _Of course…_

Sakura tried punching the mirror but she was just hurting her hand, feeling her eyes get teary she slid to the ground and hoped that something could happen to where she could get out.

#

Naruto had ended up somewhere where the halls were all stained white. The floor was hard tiled and he could smell the cleaning smell it emitted. There weren't many doors and all them were locked. Naruto had entered through the warehouse part of the building and after dodging the Taka members around there he found himself here.

_I should've brought Hinata with me,_ Naruto groaned but he straightened. _Sakura could be trouble, I have to try harder_

Naruto put his hands together and shouted "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" within seconds three other Naruto's appeared. "Listen up! Sakura is here somewhere and we need to find her before the attack plan happens so let's find her quickly and get back." The other clones agreed and went down the hallways opposite the one Naruto was going down. After Naruto started running through the hall he got a sick feeling in his stomach, _please Sakura, please be alright…_

#

"Pardon my intrusion Uchiha-sama but we got word that an intruder has entered the building. We have some surveillance you need to see." The Taka member bowed and Sasuke walked past him.

"Do you know who it is?"

"Not personally sir but I believe you do, he was one of the people you told us to keep an eye out for"

Sasuke opened the door to the security office and strode inside where two other Taka members were waiting.

"Show me" Sasuke simply said and they replayed the video. The security camera had found Naruto talking to his clones, after watching it Sasuke found himself actually laughing.

"You never change Naruto." He shook his head.

"Should we apprehend him sir?"

"No, let him find her, I need those two together anyway. I want them to see the power of my weapon."

"What about this 'attack' plan?"

"Just keep an eye out, I'm not really worried. I'm not called the Uchiha legend for nothing, you know?" The Taka members nodded and bowed their heads respectfully as he left. When no one was around he frowned then he gridded his teeth, _Damn it_ he punched the wall and felt it crack beneath his fist. He looked at it and felt like laughing again, what was he worrying about? He had just said it. He was the Uchiha legend, the prodigy, the only Uchiha left now **(AN: He doesn't know about Itachi yet :))**. Why was he worrying so much? This question was really bothering him and it was actually making him tremble.

_What the hell is going on? No…no_

Sasuke took a breath and then instead of heading back to his office he went to the nearest keypad and after sliding his card through the slot and punching some numbers there was a sound far away in the other building.

"Let's see what you can do…" with that Sasuke disappeared.

#

Sakura was leaning against the wall, on the floor, when without a warning her door slid open. Sakura almost jumped when it did and she was slow to get to the door. It had just open on its own, was she free? Or…? Sakura didn't know so she hesitated and stared down the pure white halls that had been behind the door.

After gaining her backbone back she strode forward and walked right through it then stopped. She looked back at the room and expected an alarm to go off or something but nothing happened. There was no one coming and in fact the hallway was so quiet she could hear her movements echo through them. Whatever the reason was someone had released her and she needed to get out and return back to Headquarters or to Kiba who was also going to be pissed because she had lied to him about checking out the other parts of the building, she had left him by himself with the idea of taking out Sasuke herself but it didn't go well after she was captured…or at least she thought she was, for some reason she couldn't remember how she got into that room, just the needle injecting and the pain that came with it.

Sakura crossed her arms around herself and began to walk through the halls, taking caution at the corners and not going down them without looking first. For a building that was supposed to be crawling with Taka members there weren't many around. Not even the doctors that were in her room when she got injected. The halls were completely deserted.

Sakura was looking at a hallway that went two ways when the hypnotic hum came back to Sakura's ears but this time there was a strange voice that came with it.

_Hello?_

Sakura stopped and looked around. The voice was surprising small and female, almost like a little girl. In case it was a trap Sakura hid behind a wall and said nothing. She nearly jumped when the voice giggled, it sounded so close but she couldn't see anything. Not even a speaker system was around.

_You can't hide from me, silly. _The voice giggled again. _Don't worry I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help you…_

"I must be going crazy" Sakura looked at her arm where the tube had been in her veins.

_There's someone looking for you. He's not far from you but you need to move quickly. _

"Who are you and what do you want?" Sakura demanded and then wanted to hit herself. She was talking to herself because she thinks she's hearing a little girl. How crazy was that?

_This way…_Sakura heard the voice from the left hallway. _Am I really going to follow this? _Sakura debated before sighing and going down the left hallway.

"It's not the craziest thing I've done so what's one more?" Sakura didn't like this but she didn't have much room for options right now.

_This way…_

Sakura stopped when the hall ended. There was a single door waiting at the end and it was closed tightly.

"What's this?"

_Go in, the person who's looking for you is inside_

"Okay…" Sakura went to the door and tried the doorknob but like she thought it was locked.

_Want to point me to a key? _Sakura thought sarcastically but the voice answered _use your chakra_

"That's not a good idea. Every time I try I get this horrible pain." Sakura rubbed her arms, her memory of the sharp stings.

_How about now…?_

Sakura felt her arm get warmer and the round glow of Materia shined in her arm. "What?" The Materia got brighter and a ball of chakra collected in her hand and without her control the ball of chakra shot off and exploded the door right off the hinges. Sakura was on her back from the impact. She quickly got up and looked at her arm, she touched it and tried to summon chakra again but she got that sharp sting again. _Okay, I am officially a nutcase_

_Go in already. He's waiting…_the voice demanded and it was surprised Sakura by how forceful it got, "okay creepy girlie voice" she dropped her arms and went inside. Her bare feet hit the cold steel that made up the floor and looking around this room was something very different than hers. The room had a bunch of medical equipment but none of it was being used. _Is this a storage room? _Sakura continued to walk down the long corridor until she came to a stop. The room was dark, lit enough to see what was in it, but there was something glowing at the end of the hallway. Sakura could hear the sound of tubes and water bubbling and the place where the sound was coming from appeared when Sakura walked to the end of the hallway.

It was a long haired thing…woman maybe? The woman had no limbs and her skin was grayish bluish and her body was very boney. But that wasn't what attracted most of Sakura's attention. On the woman's head was…something…but on it in big letters it said 'JENOVA'.

The little girl giggled again but this time it was menacing.

"You said _he_ was waiting…" Sakura started but she stopped when her Materia began to glow again. Around JENOVA's neck was a thick leather roped necklace that had only one pendant and it was a red metal circle with strange symbols carved into it. In the middle of the circle was a pentacle and Sakura didn't need to use any chakra to sense it's strong power.

"A seal?" she wondered aloud.

_Yes and it's time for him to awaken…_

Then Sakura lost all control of her body…

#

Naruto met back with all his clones and each of them were by themselves. They shrugged and disappeared which angered Naruto greatly. _Sakura…where are you?_ His fists tightened and he almost missed the feeling of the Nine Tails's power flowing through him.

"I'm going to keep looking!" Naruto started to pick up his pace again.

"Naruto? Can you hear me?" Naruto stopped and almost forgot he had his earpiece in. He pressed the talk button and replied "yeah, what's up Kakashi?"

"Naruto you need to come back now, we're about to start"

"But I haven't found Sakura yet"

There was a pause then Kakashi answered "Tsunade will have Hinata and Kiba go in search, with Hinata's Byakugan Sakura will be found much easier. Come back now"

"But—!" Naruto complained but Kakashi interrupted him, "A.V.A.L.A.N.C.H.E needs you right now Naruto, trust me, Sakura is fine. She's not the little girl she used to be. You and I should know that better than anyone."

"Yeah, but I still—"

"Naruto…" Although he didn't like it he was needed elsewhere and he did trust Hinata, she could find Sakura easier than he could.

"…Okay" he finally agreed, then taking one last look down the hallway he turned around and headed for the closest exit.

#

"Lady Hinata, Lady Tsunade wishes to see you" The young Hyuuga bowed and then left the tent. Hinata had been absent-mindingly brushing her hair when the young boy entered. Not wanting to anger Tsunade she dropped her brush and left the tent to head to the headquarters.

"Naruto is coming back" Kakashi told Tsunade as he reentered the room. "Good, I'm actually surprised that you managed to talk him in, he never listens to me" Kakashi laughed weakly and replied "years of practice."

"Lady Tsunade" Hinata knocked before coming in, "come in Hinata".

Hinata closed the door behind her and bowed her head, "what can I help you with?"

"We are sending you inside the building with Kiba in hopes of finding Sakura, I have to help with the attack plan and that leaves Shizune as the only medic here and that may become a problem. So I want you and Kiba to go in and bring Sakura back, quickly as you possibly can, then I'll reassign you on a team to help against the attack. Is that understood?" Tsunade explained and Hinata nodded with a shy "yes Lady Tsunade".

"Alright then, Kiba is on sight so it won't be hard to find him. Go now." Hinata bowed her head and left quickly.

"Wait, why do I have to go in?" Kiba complained when Hinata relayed what Tsunade had told her.

"She's still angry with you Kiba. I suggest you do it to get back in her good graces."

"What for? I don't think I ever was to begin with"

"Just come with me Kiba." Hinata groaned and Kiba got up with a frown. "Let's go Akamaru"

Akamaru wagged his tail and went to Hinata, she scratched his head and he barked energetically.

"Alright let's go and get this done with" Kiba groaned.

"You're starting to sound like Shikamaru"

"Don't compare me to that guy"

Hinata put her hands together and closed her eyes, "Byakugan!" she shouted and the veins around her eyes popped up from her skin and her eyes were now able to see more that the human eye ever could.

"See her?"

"…No, wait maybe…no I thought I sensed it for a moment but it faded away again"

"That's not good" Kiba said slowly.

"No it's not, let's go in maybe something is blocking her chakra network"

"After you" Kiba picked up his map and handed it to Hinata. They went to the closest entrance, the one that Naruto had used. Unlike before the warehouse was empty and everything mechanical was missing. "They're moving, we need to hurry!" Hinata shouted as she searched the thin walls for Sakura's network.

#

Sasuke was walking through the halls of the building. Another security violation but Sasuke wasn't interested, he went past the security office and went to the gun control room. _Twenty minutes before time to strike_, he thought gladly. Upon entering he found Suigetsu and Jugo watching over the nameless Taka members as they worked on the controls of Sasuke's mega gun weapon.

"How's everything going?" he asked them.

"Everything is going fine sir" Suigetsu said politely, he glared at Sasuke's back when he wasn't looking.

"We should be ready to go soon" Jugo added in.

"Wonderful"

"Sasuke-kun, what about A.V.A.L.A.N.C.H.E? If that Naruto boy spoke of an attack shouldn't we…?"

"No Karin, I'm not worried at all. You forget that most of A.V.A.L.A.N.C.H.E are just angry townspeople. We are shinobi after all and even if we do have to deal with a few of our own I have no worries about them being defeated. Unless you all doubt your skills?"

"No way"

"Never, my curse mark power will crush anyone"

"I'll sense them out before they get a chance" Karin said confidently.

"How will that defeat them?" Suigetsu asked.

"Shut up fish face!"

"Make me you redheaded cow" Suigetsu said back. Sasuke sighed and Jugo shook his head, "they remind me of a married couple"

"Jugo, shut the hell up!" Suigetsu yelled angrily.

"Like I would ever find anything appealing in that lump of fish guts"

"Would the two of you just shut it?" Sasuke growled. They both went quiet instantly.

"Things are going to get really busy here and I can't have you two messing around."

"Of course Sasuke-kun, I'm so sorry" behind Sasuke's back she punched Suigetsu in the face. "You bitch!" she stuck her tongue out at him then she suddenly jolted. She paused and pushed her glasses closer to her face, "uh…Sasuke-kun"

"I feel it too…" Jugo agreed, he shifted uncomfortably. Sasuke looked back and he did feel a unregularly power source but he just shrugged and told Jugo and Karin "go check it out"

"Uh, ok" Karin followed after Jugo.

"Must be A.V.A.L.A.N.C.H.E" Suigetsu said while rubbing his cheek. "No, it's a—" Sasuke stopped when he felt the power surge again, it was oddly familiar.

"What is it sir?"

"It can't be…tch…" Sasuke left and Suigetsu could only watch him go, confused.

#

Tsunade was watching the building while the A.V.A.L.A.N.C.H.E members behind her checked their tools and weapons, they were going to attack in just a few minutes and Tsunade was getting worried that she hadn't gotten any message from Hinata or Kiba saying that they had found Sakura. True, the Uchiha Electric Power Company was big but with Hinata's Byakugan they should have found her and been back by now.

"Lady Tsunade"

"Oh…yes" Tsunade said absent-mindingly. She had been lost in thought.

"Are you ready to proceed?"

"…Yes" She finally said. She turned her gaze back at the window and after a moment of peacefulness around the building, the backside of the building, suddenly exploded in a large fire bomb.

"What?" Tsunade could only stare.

"What happened?"

The warehouse engulfed in flames and Tsunade could see the bluish of chakra attack the rest of the building.

"Something's happening, let's go" Tsunade turned and ran out of the room.

#

Hinata braced against the wall to keep her balance. Akamaru's fur went up and he started growling, barking.

"Where did that come from?" Hinata asked. Kiba petted Akamaru, "calm down buddy"

Hinata was searching with her Byakugan when her face lightened up, "I found Sakura! She's just ahead"

"Really?"

"Yes, let's go and get her back Kiba"

"Wait a minute Hinata, that's where the explosion came from…" Kiba pointed, his hand shaking slightly.

"It doesn't matter, she could be injured or worse" Hinata ran off and Akamaru followed her. "Hey, you're supposed to follow me Akamaru!" he sighed then followed them.

#

Sakura was no longer in control of her body. She stood in the middle of the fiery blaze unmoving. In her left hand was Jenova's head, she had ripped it off the body, and Jenova's greenish blood was covering Sakura's arm. In Sakura's other hand was Sephiroth's seal, which was useless now. She put the leather chain around her neck and let it fall past her collarbone. There was a dead Taka member at her feet and she bent down and removed her shirt to put it over her almost bare front. It was a white button up shirt and it hung off Sakura like a sheet.

"It's been…too long" A dark male voice said from behind Sakura. She turned and looked at him, her eyes were bright bluish green and the pupils were slit, obviously Jenova.

Sephiroth was reborn. His long whitish silver hair was long enough to go past his waist. His clothes were old Taka uniforms with his chest revealed and a leather belt that went around his neck and back down under his jacket. He had white shoulder protectors that had the Taka symbol, he looked at it with disgust but did nothing to change it.

He emerged from the flames and eyed Sakura suspiciously but when he saw her eyes he stopped reaching for his long sword.

"Another child of Jenova" he acknowledge, then his eyes fell to Jenova's head in Sakura's arm.

"Mother?"

_Give me to him_ Jenova's voice commanded and Sakura held her head to Sephiroth.

Sephiroth took it slowly and looked at Jenova's head for a long time before he held it up and put it to his chest.

"With Mother's power, I will be unstoppable and this world will finally see the calamity that is Jenova" Sephiroth cringed a little when he forced Jenova's head into his chest. It absorbed into his skin like Materia and Sakura could feel his power increase greatly, it made her tremble.

"…Now, let's find Uchiha…the one that did this. To both of us" Sephiroth smirked and Sakura could do nothing but nod. She followed him without a word.

#

Hinata stopped when the part of the building collapsed. Kiba caught her around the waist to prevent her from falling through the floor.

"Thanks Kiba"

Kiba nodded, "watch your step". Hinata jumped down into the fiery blaze. The smoke was making it hard to see but with Hinata's Byakugan it was easy to see in and around the fire.

"Sakura!" Kiba called, thinking she might call back but they heard nothing but the fire and wood breaking off the building.

"There she is!" Hinata rushed forward and saw Sakura standing off by herself, her head down.

"Sakura!" Hinata shouted but Sakura didn't move. Kiba stopped as he watched Hinata and Akamaru run to Sakura, something about this Kiba didn't like.

"Hinata…"

Hinata ran to Sakura and almost crashed into her. She stopped and cupped her hands over Sakura's shoulders and gave her a light shake, "Sakura?"

Sakura seemed to come to life then and she looked up at Hinata who dropped her shoulders and gasped.

"Sakura wha…what's wrong with your eyes?" Hinata looked at Sakura with her Byakugan and was surprised to find that her chakra network was still. There was something else flowing through her network and it didn't look like anything she had ever seen. She saw a greenish almost blue liquid that stung her eyes when she looked at Sakura too much. She couldn't recognize it.

"Hinata?"

"Kiba, something's wrong with Sakura so I'm going to knock her out, can you carry her?"

"What? Why do I have to?"

"Kiba!"

"Fine, fine, just do whatever you need to. We have to get out of here before the roof collapses."

Hinata dipped low in a Hyuuga style and her hands started to glow, then she jumped up and aimed for Sakura's neck.

Just before Hinata hit Sakura someone appeared and Hinata's hand collided on the side of Sephiroth's sword. Sephiroth had reappeared with his sword to held to the side, defensively, Sakura's back was touching Sephiroth's chest while his arms were up over her head to deflect Hinata.

"Uh!" Hinata gasped and landed at Sephiroth's feet.

"Hinata!" Kiba yelled as he rushed forward.

"What's this? A friend of yours?" Sephiroth asked, there was amusement in his voice. Sakura said nothing and he lowered his sword.

"Well, I needed a good warm-up" Sephiroth went around Sakura towards Hinata. Hinata backed up as much as she could although Sephiroth was getting closer to her with each stride. Hinata didn't need her Byakugan to feel Sephiroth's massive power.

"Scared little girl?" Sephiroth teased.

"Man Beast Jutsu!" Kiba yelled. Akamaru turned into another form of Kiba and spun in a fast circle and joined Kiba in attacking Sephiroth.

Sephiroth studied them and chuckled. "Chakra, huh? What a waste" Sephiroth jumped and using his sword he waited for the right moment and sunk his sword into the spinning circle. Akamaru yelped and fell to the ground with a gash in his side. Sephiroth dodged Kiba's attack and he landed on the ground on all fours.

"Akamaru!" his worry showing and while he was busy looking at Akamaru Sephiroth appeared at his side and kicked him hard in the guts. Kiba went flying into a pile of flaming wood. The landing above him collapsed over him.

"Kiba!" Hinata got up and went into Hyuuga style again.

"Prepare yourself!" Hinata yelled. Sephiroth turned to Hinata and asked "why bother?"

Hinata brought her hands to her side and summoned chakra into her hands until they took the form of two lion heads, she charged forward with a cry and tried to hit Sephiroth but he easily stepped out of the way and dodged her each time.

"Pitiful" Sephiroth said after a moment and sent his hand under Hinata and punched her squarely in the stomach. She gasped as she heard a loud crack under Sephiroth's fist; she coughed up blood and was thrown back from the impact.

"I thought Shinobi were better than this. I guess not…" Sephiroth turned to leave.

"Come, Sakura!" Sakura followed him without a word, before leaving she looked at Hinata and her eyes quickly flickered back to their normal emerald green but before she could fight it off her eyes returned back to blue.

#

"So what's going on?" Naruto asked Kakashi.

"I'm not sure but it's not our men. There's someone else attacking the building and they're doing a good job so far."

"What are we going to do then? Go in and help that person or stop it or what…?"

"We're definitely going in Naruto, just wait a moment" Kakashi looked around for the messenger he sent.

"Wait a minute! Did Hinata ever find Sakura?"

"I'm not sure, I haven't seen her"

Tsunade joined the group and went up to Kakashi, Naruto, and Shikamaru who were waiting at the front of the group.

"Hey, Granny! Have you heard anything from Hinata?"

"Or Kiba?" Shikamaru filled in.

"I haven't gotten a word from either of them. I sent for Neji to join us so we can go in." Tsunade looked at the burning building, there wasn't much stirring outside so that meant whoever it was, was still inside. They needed to go in quickly to access what was going on.

"Lady Tsunade" Neji arrived.

"There you are, where is the person attacking the building at?"

Neji used his Byakugan to look and his eyes landed on the middle of the building.

"I'm sensing a massive power. It's nothing like I've ever seen, it's not Sasuke's either. I'm also sensing Sakura with him as well but her chakra network is going in and out. It's hard to pinpoint her exactly but she's near the massive power".

"I'm going!" Naruto shouted before running towards the building.

"Wha—wait, Naruto" Kakashi went after him, Tsunade sighed.

"Can you tell me who it is? Or what they look like?" Shikamaru asked Neji but he just shook his head.

"It's no one that I could recognize. His clothes look a lot like the Taka uniforms though."

"Why would a Taka member attack now?"

Neji didn't have an answer.

"Lady Tsunade" Shikamaru waited.

"Shikamaru! You and Neji go assist Naruto and Kakashi and the rest of us will try to stop Sasuke's weapon, in case he still tries to use it"

"Yes ma'am, Neji, I need your eyes"

"Follow me" Shikamaru and Neji departed.

"What is going on here?" Tsunade shook her head then turned to the remaining A.V.A.L.A.N.C.H.E members.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes ma'am" they said together.

"Then let's go"

"Fo'shezzle Mama Granny pants" Tsunade turned and saw Killer Bee and Cid walking up.

"What are you doing here Killer Bee?"

"You thought we were just gonna sit and do nothing, you're crazy" Cid walked past her with his metal bar on his shoulders, his arms lounging on it.

"Well, more help is good, I guess" Tsunade sighed and led the group to the gun.

#

The rest of the building was falling apart now. Sephiroth wasn't satisfied unless he caused ultimate destruction against Sasuke's building. His impatience was also growing when nothing but Taka members came his way.

"Where is that blasted Uchiha?" Sephiroth blew parts of the building away with some Materia that was in his arm.

Sakura was following him without a word but Jenova was beginning to lose control over her and Sakura was starting to wake up.

"Hmm…" Sakura stopped but Jenova pushed herself through and Sakura became quiet again.

"Just protect the seal" Sephiroth told Sakura before he was moving on again.

Sephiroth entered another area that was ripping apart in flames, looking around.

Jugo and Karin were hiding from Sephiroth, not far off from him.

"This wasn't a good plan" Jugo whispered to Karin.

"Shut up, he'll hear you!" Karin shushed.

"Wait, can't he see chakra levels, then hiding is just pointless" Jugo filled in but Karin punched him.

"Be quiet!"

"Come out, you two" Both Jugo and Karin flinched. They didn't move a muscle so Sephiroth raised his hand and shot a powerful blast at the piece of metal they were hiding behind.

"Running might be a good plan now" Jugo mumbled.

But neither of them ran. Jugo straightened his clothes and dropped a serious expression on his face. Karin adjusted her glasses and put her hand on her hip.

"Members of Taka?"

"Admins" Karin answered. Sephiroth grinned, "then you'll know where to find Uchiha"

"Like we would tell you" Jugo said calmly, dusting off his suit.

"Well then, I'll just have you show me" Sephiroth disappeared and reappeared between them. Karin couldn't block Sephiroth's hard kick and she went flying back with a cry. Jugo blocked with his hand but the force of it broke his arm.

"Ahh…" Jugo held his arm, "your fast" he complemented.

"No, you're just too slow" Sephiroth was now behind Jugo and he pulled out his sword but before it could connect Jugo had been collected by someone and they jumped away.

"Suigetsu" Jugo sighed with relief.

"Don't worry buddy, I wasn't going to let him kill ya"

"So…you're back"

Sasuke stepped out from behind the flames and stood in front of Sephiroth, a ways away.

"You've finally shown yourself" Sephiroth's anger began to heighten.

"So, she let you out" Sasuke saw Sakura but noticed that she wasn't herself. _Maybe releasing her wasn't a good idea_

"Pay attention to me when we're fighting" Sasuke heard in his ear and he jumped back, mere instinct. Sephiroth chuckled at him which set Sasuke's anger to a boil.

"You want to mess with me? Well how about you mess with this! Chidori!" Sasuke's hand erupted in chirping electricity.

"Sasuke-kun!" Karin shouted as Sasuke ran for Sephiroth.

"Child's play" Sephiroth caught Sasuke's wrist and threw him into the nearest standing wall.

"I was expecting something…better" Sephiroth began to walk to Sasuke but he stopped, then looked over his shoulder.

"There seems to be an unless number of you, isn't there?"

"Huh?" Suigetsu and Jugo looked behind them but saw nothing. "He's not talking about us, is he?"

"Obviously not you idiot" Jugo hushed Suigetsu.

Soon, what Jugo had heard as well, was another loud chirping of birds and someone jumped from within the smoke and aimed straight at Sephiroth.

Sephiroth merely took a step back and the person collided with the ground.

"You—" Sasuke growled as Kakashi stood up.

"No matter what happens, Sasuke, a teacher will always protect their students" Kakashi looked at Sasuke with a lazily grin that Sasuke hated.

"You know this man?"

"Sephiroth" Sakura suddenly spoke up.

"Ah, there you are" Kakashi took a step towards Sakura.

"Stay back! There's something wrong with her" Karin shouted. Kakashi stopped and looked at Sakura, studying her on what could be wrong.

"Forget about something?"

"Nope" Kakashi caught Sephiroth's blade in his hand, not even a cut.

"You're quicker than Uchiha"

"I would hope so" Kakashi answered back and tried to wretch away Sephiroth's blade but Kakashi's strength couldn't match up to Sephiroth's. Kakashi stepped back and reached into his back pouch for a kunai.

"You! Stay out of this, I don't need your help!" Sasuke yelled at Kakashi but he just ignored Sasuke.

"If I'm not correct, you are held as the legendary copycat ninja?"

"Yes and you are the only survivor of the calamity Jenova?"

"Not anymore, she is as well" Sephiroth looked back at Sakura.

"What?"

"The Byakugan cannot sense such power, all they see is a bright light that is irritating to them, but the Sharingan can see the flow of Jenova cells. So, see for yourself"

Kakashi raised his leaf headband to reveal his Sharingan. He looked at Sakura and noticed a very turbulent flow of a bluish green liquid through her network.

"Sasuke, what did you do?"

Sasuke smirked up at his old sensei, "just did some research is all"

"Is that what we are to you, research?" Sephiroth turned on Sasuke.

"Yeah, that's all you or Sakura was ever good for" Sasuke took his time standing back up.

"Well, Kakashi, I might need your help after all"

"Don't get used to it"

Sephiroth smiled at the two of them, "then come on then…"

#

TBC…

ItsukoAkatsuki: Sorry that this took a week and I wanted to keep this all together but it would've taken longer so the next chapter will finish up on the flashback. Hoped you liked it and please review :)


	7. Broken Contact

ItsukoAkatsuki: Hello everyone :D I'll just get right to it, here's Chapter 7, and reviews are helpful! I'm so sorry for the wait! :'( I feel so bad for making you all wait.

Character List (Naruto characters that are replacing FF characters)

Kakashi = Zack (After taking a lot of time to think about this I decided that Kakashi would be best, Kakashi is also the old gray wolf as well)

Jugo = Rude and Tsung (I forget to mention he is replacing Tsung (for now, Tsung will be in the sequel) as well, my mistake)

For the pairing, for the sequel, I added a poll to my profile so vote and the one to get the most votes will be it. Also, I added a poll on Quizilla so you can vote there too. My name there is ValtielXT831; it's on my profile as well.

/

Chapter 7: Broken Contact…

"Then, come on then…" Sephiroth challenged them, he wasn't in the mood to deal with Kakashi but he wasn't going to sit out now, Sephiroth drew his blade and calmly breathed.

Sasuke bent down then charged at Sephiroth, he wielded three hand signs and his Chidori formed. He jumped up and aimed at Sephiroth, leaving his body completely defenseless. "Is he serious?" Sephiroth reached out and grabbed him by the neck and began to crush his neck in his hand, Sasuke jolted and swung his Chidori at Sephiroth's shoulder, Sasuke smirked but Sephiroth wasn't moving or reacting to it at all. Sephiroth just increased his crush on his neck, "why aren't you?" Sasuke gagged when Sephiroth shoved his thumb into his windpipe. While Sephiroth's attention was on Sasuke Kakashi summoned his ninja dogs and they rushed at Sephiroth.

"What can mere mutts do to me?" Sephiroth wasn't impressed but then Kakashi's large bulldog emerged from beneath the ground behind Sephiroth and bit down on Sephiroth's shoulder. The bulldog's teeth were strong enough to pierce through Sephiroth's shoulder armor and blood began to soak through his jacket.

The bulldog bit as deep as he could manage into Sephiroth's shoulder but Sephiroth could barely feel it. The Jenova cells in his bloodstream were strong enough to lighten his pain, almost like a numbing agent. The other dogs swooped in biting his arms and legs. Pakkun bit down on Sephiroth's hilt so he couldn't remove his sword unless he removed Pakkun first. "Go, Kakashi!" Pakkun yelled between closed teeth.

"Huh, is this how you choose to fight?" Sephiroth didn't seem impressed. Kakashi jumped out from within the smoke, his lightening blade at the ready, and aimed straight for Sephiroth's heart. The dogs bit down harder so that Kakashi could connect with his jutsu.

"Child's play, how pitiful" Sephiroth's eyes pulsed and he had a sudden eruption coming from beneath his skin. The dogs were blown away, Pakkun held on the longest but he too was blown off the blade, and Kakashi landed on the ground and ignored the bluish glow around him and headed for his target.

"This—is over!" Kakashi roared and his hand reached for his chest.

"Pointless" Sephiroth was faster and his blade sunk into Kakashi's chest. Kakashi fell slowly to his knees and looked up at Sephiroth, Sephiroth couldn't see it but Kakashi was smirking under his mask.

"I should be the one saying that" the Kakashi at Sephiroth's feet disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Shadow Clone, that's weak Kakashi" Sasuke had forced himself up on his feet but he was wobbly, he rubbed his neck with his hand, his neck was beginning to bruise.

"Sasuke-kun, here let me—" Karin came from her hiding spot and pulled her sleeve up, revealing several bite marks on her skin.

"Get away from me!" Sasuke growled then turned back to Sephiroth, "I have no time for stupid games"

He looked at Karin for a second and told her "go to the control room and fire the gun. Even though we're under attack we can still continue with our plans."

"But you're…"

"I said go Karin!" Sasuke ordered and Karin began to cry but she sucked it up and ran off.

"You two, go with her" Sasuke pointed at Jugo and Suigetsu, they were hiding just like Karin had. "Yes, sir" neither of them argued with him and followed Karin to the control tower.

"I knew it was stupid to keep your seal, Sephiroth, but this time I'll defeat you and destroy that blasted seal. I'll just have to make another puppet, one that will obey me better" Sasuke reached into his shirt and pulled out a familiar blade. The blade was short and the hilt was purple, square.

"I will not fall victim to such a person as you" Sasuke's blade began to sparkle in a Chidori-like attack. When it was fully a lit he ran towards him with a loud roar. "I'm tired of this" Sephiroth lightly sighed and using the Materia in his arm he pushed Sasuke back into a nearby wall. The impact was light enough not to knock Sasuke out, he growled at Sephiroth.

Kakashi's clone was destroyed but he waited to attack. His headband was up, Sharingan activated, he was studying Sephiroth. He couldn't help but wonder why his attacks weren't working against him, why he was faster and stronger but wasn't using chakra to make it so, Sephiroth was unquestionably younger than him and the possibility of him being this strong was highly unlikely. He needed to watch him fight if he had any chance of finding any weak spots or anything that he could use.

_I can't sense any chakra on him at all. It seems he's relying only on Jenova cells. This may be bad…_

"What the hell are you doing, Kakashi? You tired already?" Sasuke yelled as he spotted the real Kakashi hiding behind the flames. Sephiroth took his attention off Sasuke and turned to Kakashi.

"Damn it, Sasuke" Kakashi said before he dodged Sephiroth and jumped back, Sephiroth followed.

"Stop running away you coward. I thought you wanted to fight me" Sasuke yelled and stopped, he quickly caught his breath but with the rising smoke it was getting more and more difficult to breathe.

"I would face you, if it was worth it" Sephiroth reappeared and kicked Sasuke squarely in the ribs, Sasuke went flying but he managed to turn in air and land on his feet.

"It's going to take more of that to kill me"

"Who said I wanted to kill you" Sephiroth disappeared in the smoke, Sasuke activated his Sharingan quickly. The stigma in his neck jolted and he looked down, clutching his neck. It didn't help that Sephiroth had bruised him and the stigma was growing which made it that much harder to breathe. Sasuke began to fill lightheaded but he dealt with it and looked around for Sephiroth.

"Maybe I want you to suffer the same way I did, maybe then you won't be so naïve" Sephiroth's voice sounded distorted but he didn't reappear.

"Where are you?" Sasuke yelled.

"Does it matter?" Sephiroth reached for his blade.

Kakashi's eyes were searching the fire and rubble for Sephiroth but with him having little to no chakra left it was surprising difficult. He had wasted his chakra on big jutsus that ended up doing nothing to Sephiroth.

"Did you think I was done with you?" Sephiroth said, he was behind Kakashi and he didn't wait for Kakashi to turn, he used a spinning kick as a distraction for his blade to enter Kakashi's leg.

"Whoa" Kakashi dodged the kick but couldn't dodge his sword but he jumped away fast enough so that the wound wasn't very deep.

"You shouldn't take my skills so lightly, I may overturn you before you can say 'oops'"

"So be it, I'm not interested in your attempts of defeating me, I have other things I need to accomplish" with that Sephiroth turned to Sakura who was still obediently standing in the spot Sephiroth had told her to stay.

"One cannot be in that stage for long, Jenova isn't a calamity that humans can control, that's why most, well, _all_ die from her savage hold. If I do nothing Jenova will eat away her chakra until there is nothing remaining and I know you people die if you don't have chakra. I need someone to protect the seal, after all."

"As if I would let that happen" Kakashi put his hands together.

"I'm tired of your stupid jutsus"

"Well, get used to it, here comes more" Sephiroth suddenly looked up and saw the fluttering of a black cloak with red clouds slowly falling in between him and Kakashi. Kakashi recognized it immediately but he couldn't believe what he was seeing, _that chakra network!_

"What is it now?" Sephiroth was losing his patience, his Jenova cells were beginning to recoil. He couldn't hold this form much longer and if he grew too weak his spirit would return to the seal. Mother, Jenova, was calling for blood. Uchiha's blood…

The cloak collected together, no longer rags, and a figure appeared from beneath. The figure stood and straightened the cloak. Surprisingly his headband was still tied around his forehead but the slash through the symbol was still there but his loyalty was different now.

Itachi Uchiha, believed to be dead, by the hand of his younger brother, was indeed standing tall, as healthy as a young man of his age; his eyes were no longer blind but swift and keen as they had once been.

Kakashi relaxed a little, giving Itachi a quick look. "You look better…" Kakashi noted, Itachi didn't seem bent with pain like he had been before.

"It's rather odd; I never thought I could feel this good, at least, not again."

"You mind explaining how you're alive?" Itachi actually shrugged.

"Kabuto won't be walking for a long time, maybe never again" Kakashi smirked. "I forced him to bring me back…" Itachi turned his arm around and closed his hand, feeling nothing but youth, he was still getting used to it. "Unfortunately it wasn't enough to kill him, I lost track of him over the rock country. I wasn't going to waste all this…to search for some snake scum like him, besides, I wouldn't be surprised if he whittles his way back up again."

"Ah, another Uchiha…" Sephiroth had been quiet until now but he could easily feel Itachi's massive power and it made him almost…hungry.

"Your energy is very similar…but yet, it's completely different as well" Sephiroth studied Itachi eagerly. "You're strength is far better than his" Sephiroth gave a cold stare at Kakashi who seemed not at all bothered by him.

"I can only assume you're here to lend a hand?"

"You shouldn't assume things, it might not end well for you" Itachi turned to face Sephiroth. "The same goes to you"

Sasuke pulled himself over the rubble that revealed Sephiroth, Kakashi, and Itachi standing below. Sasuke glared at Sephiroth but taking a glance to the person standing in front of him he froze. The cloak was more than enough familiar and the long black hair that was tied up in a low ponytail wasn't something he would ever forget. Sasuke wiped his eyes, thinking there was something in his eyes making it seem like his brother was there but really not, but much to his dislike Itachi was still standing there.

_This can't be…!_

"…It's good to see you too…foolish little brother" Itachi grinned before turning his head to look at Sasuke.

Sasuke was speechless, he couldn't find a word to say, whether it was out of anger or disbelief. Itachi just shook his head and turned back to Sephiroth.

"So…should we get started?" Itachi asked.

"If you dare, then be my guest" Sephiroth held his sword up and gestured towards Itachi for him to come.

"Let's see if you're worth my time". Itachi's Sharingan activated and he strode forward.

/

"…" Shikamaru sighed tiredly. This place was big and the rising smoke made it hard to breathe but he had to go to the control room and stop Sasuke's weapon. Shikamaru braced himself against the doorframe and tried to catch his breathing.

"Damn, I've never been so tired. I'm only twenty-four, I shouldn't be this tired, shinobi or not. Such…a drag"

"Shikamaru!" Ino called from down the hall. She was short enough so that the smoke wasn't as bothersome. She laid her hand on his shoulder and noticed the difficultly he was having.

"Shikamaru, are you okay?" She asked, looking him over for any injuries, she checked his heart and forehead. Shikamaru, lightly, pushed her hand away. He gave her a reassuring smile, "don't worry about me. Just tired, is all…" Shikamaru answered this by sighing again.

"We need to go, we don't have much time"

Ino stopped him.

"You look a little pale…are you sure you're okay? Maybe I should…" Shikamaru shook his head.

"No, let's…" Shikamaru started running again and Ino watched him go before she had no choice but to follow.

/

"Hinata!"

Hinata slowly opened her eyes.

"Hinata!" Kiba yelled again. He was fanning her with his jacket so she could breathe easier.

Hinata opened her eyes again and blinked away the tears that were forming. "Kiba…?" she tried and her vision got clearer.

"Finally, I've been trying for almost an hour" Kiba sighed happily.

Hinata looked around and the warehouse was almost completely charred. She braced herself as she began to stand up, Kiba grabbed her arm and stopped her from moving.

"You shouldn't move Hinata; I don't know how injured you are so—"

"I'm okay Kiba, we need to…" she didn't finish her statement because she felt a strong jolt in her ribs and she began to cough. A few coughs had blood come up and on her hand. She was hurting all over but she needed…wait, what did she need to do? She couldn't remember what she had been doing last, her head hurt that much.

"Let's go back to the medical tents, come on Hinata" Kiba pulled Hinata up, Akamaru whined with concern.

Hinata was quiet and let Kiba help her walk and as they left the warehouse Hinata remembered what she was doing.

"Wait, Kiba!" Kiba shook his head, "Hinata, don't fight with me, I'm no medic and you can barely walk."

Hinata put some weight in her legs and Kiba groaned.

"What were we doing before this?"

"Why should I—"

"Kiba!"

"We were looking for Sakura and then…some guy came and knocked us both out. He wasn't around when I woke up so…"

"What about Sakura? There was something wrong with her"

Kiba shrugged, "she wasn't here either but we need to get out of here, neither of us is in good condition."

"Kiba…" Hinata paused. Her mind was going back to Tsunade earlier when she had asked her to find Sakura.

"No, Kiba, stop"

"What now!" Kiba was already agitated.

"I have to find her, Tsunade…"

"We have to go Hinata, we don't have a choice"

"Then go by yourself. I can't let her…or Naruto down, not now"

"What?"

"Let me go Kiba" Hinata jerked out of Kiba's grasp and she almost fell but Kiba caught her quickly. She let him hold her for a second before she broke away again.

"Byakugan!" her eyes began to search again, this time she was able to locate Sakura almost instantly but her chakra network was very disturbed and it became hard to sense her exact location but she knew where she was before it disappeared completely and much to her surprise she sensed both Sasuke and Kakashi close to where Sakura was standing. Studying the area around her Hinata sensed a different power, it was massive in strength, so much that she trembled; it was the person that had knocked her out before.

"Hinata?" Kiba shook Hinata's shoulder, he was worried and Hinata had gotten still and her face was getting paler by the minute.

Hinata suddenly sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"I found her, let's go…" Hinata quickened her pace but she was clearly hesitating.

_I sense something horrid is about to happen…_

/

"Damn it…why isn't anything working?" Kakashi landed on his feet, his patience growing thin. His chakra was limited due to the stigma and even then he was running out of chakra but no matter what jutsu or weapon that he used it didn't even do anything to Sephiroth. Even with Itachi and sometimes Sasuke, he mainly stood off to the side and watched them struggle, and they connect with a strong enough attack.

"It seems…" Itachi took a breath before continuing, he was getting tired as well, "that the Jenova cells in his bloodstream are making his body unable to be hurt by chakra. It doesn't make much sense but it doesn't seem to be in our favor." Itachi ran a hand through his hair. The fire was getting higher but dying away at the same time; it was running out of things to burn. The smoke was helping with diversions but their attacks were useless.

"So, this is all the great Kakashi and unstoppable Itachi Uchiha can manage?" Sasuke began to laugh at them; Itachi glared at his younger brother but said nothing.

"I could say the same about you, Uchiha" Sephiroth put away his sword and tightened his leather gloves on his hands. Sephiroth's eyes flickered for a second and he used his quick speed to cross the distance between him and Sasuke.

Sasuke pulled out his blade and went running, the tip of the sword aimed for Sephiroth's chest.

Surprisingly, Sephiroth allowed Sasuke's blade to plunge deep into his chest. Sephiroth didn't even tremble with the pain that came from the impact nor did he wipe away the blood that was staining his clothes, he just continued to reach for Sasuke.

"Why won't you…!"

"Time to say goodbye, Uchiha" Sephiroth's hand glowed green and blue, the Materia in his arm activating, "it was a blast" Sephiroth closed his eyes and he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, the area around Sasuke exploded and caught Sasuke right in the chest. "Sasuke!" Itachi sped forward but Sephiroth had reappeared and kicked him away, Kakashi, finding this the perfect time to attack, drove forward and wielded three hand signs before shouting "Ninja Art! Lightening Blade!" Kakashi's speed picked up dramatically, Sephiroth could still seem him but it was a blur as he ran left and right out of view. "Just give up already" Sephiroth was tired of dealing with these two so he reached into his jacket and pulled out a smaller, curved, blade and clashed with Kakashi.

Kakashi's lightening blade closed over his wound, in hopes of dealing internal damage, and Sephiroth sunk the blade into Kakashi's chest, aiming for his splenic artery.

"Ahh…" Kakashi jolted, Sephiroth's blade had razors so even if it didn't connect with its target it did rip up everything it touched. Kakashi was still as his green vest began to soak with fresh blood, Sephiroth had hit his mark and Kakashi's hand dropped and he fell to his knees.

"You shouldn't have tried to fight me, I had no reason to hurt you but anyone who intends to get in my way will die. Now…die" Kakashi pulled out Sephiroth's blade and stood up to use it against him but Sephiroth just smacked it away and pulled out his sword to deal the final blow.

"Sephiroth!" a voice suddenly yelled.

Sephiroth stopped and slowly turned towards Sakura.

Sakura, who had been silent and obeying the entire time, had suddenly spoken. The Jenova cells in her body were starting to weaken, for whatever reason, but Sakura was starting to break Jenova's hold on her but her eyes were still showing Jenova control.

Sephiroth turned back to look at his arm, moving the sleeve, he could see his veins were growing darker.

"Mother is growing weaker, she needs the calamity now" Sephiroth ignored Kakashi and walked in the fire, disappearing, but before he was completely gone he said to Sakura, again, "protect the seal".

Sakura was able to move again but every movement was difficult. "Kakashi-sensei"

Kakashi had cupped his hand over his wound in hopes of stopping the blood flow, if even a little. He couldn't sense Sephiroth and he wasn't in the mode to find him, if he did nothing he would bleed out.

"Hold on Kakashi…" Itachi came to Kakashi's side and draped his arm over his shoulder. "I'm sure he'll come back, if not already."

"Itachi?" Sakura's voice was barely above a whisper. She felt nauseous and any moment she thought she would fall on her face.

"You there, you're a medical ninja aren't you? Help Kakashi while I check up on Sasuke"

Sakura couldn't move, her legs felt like jelly.

Kakashi got a knee up and trembled as he fought to stand up. "She can't…she's been taken over by Jenova. I think I can…bring her mind back out but…" Kakashi jolted with the pain from his wound, he was losing more and more blood.

"It's bad enough that I couldn't stop Sephiroth but I'm not going to abandoned my students either." Kakashi turned to Itachi "so go help Sasuke"

Itachi dropped Kakashi's arm and disappeared in his cloak, the cloak floated up and out of sight. Kakashi, then, walked slowly to Sakura.

"Sakura" Kakashi called, Sakura faced him but she didn't move.

"Kakashi, I can't move…"

"I know, this should help" Kakashi dropped his hands on Sakura's shoulders and he reactivated his Sharingan. He shuddered for a brief moment before he could focus his chakra on Sakura's mind. Kakashi's chakra was low, most of it was wasted on Sephiroth, and Kakashi was finding it rather difficult to get his mind to connect with Sakura's. He closed his eyes and rubbed his head, a headache forming.

Kakashi went silent.

Sakura twitched when a familiar sharp pain went through her chakra network.

"Kakashi-sensei, it's…" Sakura bit down on her lip to suppress a yell. The sharp pain was like a thousand needles stabbing her over and over again but she fought for control which was getting harder and harder as the seconds went by.

_Come on, Sakura, this is your body…not Jenova's_

"…Damn it" Sakura clinched her fists and tasted blood on her bottom lip. She was losing control…

A soft hand cupped Sakura's shoulder.

"Huh?" Sakura managed to turn her head to look into two familiar eyes.

"Sakura" the voice said with relief, worry was still tacked to his voice.

"…Naruto" Sakura breathed and then everything seemed to spin around her and the world began to get dark. The Jenova cells in her body went cold, relieving control, she couldn't keep herself from falling forward, and Naruto caught her before she hit the ground. Kakashi also sighed with relief and chuckling slightly he said "about time, huh?"

/

Sephiroth finished off the last of the Taka members that were guarding the medical section. The hallways were filled with lying, lingering; bodies and their blood stained the white walls. The last guard approached Sephiroth with a trembling fear but he had no choice but to charge forward blindly and he, too, became another victim. Sephiroth finished him off without using any strength at all; he shook his head, disappointed and somewhat disgusted. "Is this the best you can do?" Sephiroth asked out loud but he wasn't interested in an answer. He strode down the halls until he came to the door that revealed the lab where most of the Jenova cells were kept.

Sephiroth found an empty vile and stuck it into the machine that began to fill it with fresh Jenova cells.

"I am so sorry Mother. That your remains have been defiled for such a thing as this" Sephiroth's jaw was clinched. Once the vile was full he removed it and took the top off revealing a sharp needle point. He pulled his arm out of his jacket and got ready to inject himself in one of his veins.

He suddenly felt a sting of pain in his blood.

"Mother?" The Jenova cells were reacting strangely, for a moment, just a brief moment, he felt weak. It was harder to breathe and his muscles were sore. Jenova needed the calamity and with the calamity she would have all her cells back, not just sterile cells that seemed lacking in power.

"Uchiha's medical staff has dampened your power so it can be controlled. Such mockery, but no need to worry Mother, all will be restored and the fate of this world will be no longer existent and after that…a new world will rise and with that there will be nothing but peace, if needed by force, it shall be done. If you asked for it, Mother, it shall be done.

With that Sephiroth forced the needle into his vein and Jenova's cells became reactive again. With his power back he headed for the control tower…

/

Shikamaru found no one in the control tower and this wasn't something he overlooked. Turning to Ino he asked, "Hey Ino, can you sense anything? There can't be anyone not minding the controls"

"I'm already on it Shikamaru" Ino closed her eyes and used her ability to sense chakra levels to search the room.

"There isn't anyone in here" a voice said from the down the hall. Shikamaru stiffened and pulled out his knife and faced the hallway but as soon as he saw who it was he relaxed instantly.

"Neji" Ino acknowledged, she lightly smiled at the Hyuuga.

"There was a chakra level in here earlier but it suddenly went away…" Neji explained.

"Wait, how can it suddenly go away?" Shikamaru's eyebrows creased and one rose in question.

"I was too far away to get a good reading. This place is a mess, the fire is distracting me.

Shikamaru turned on Neji "The Byakugan can see through fire so how is it distracting you?"

Neji studied Shikamaru's face and answered calmly "my eyes aren't as good as they used to be. Although it's not as degrading as the Sharingan it can still ware off."

"Really, is that so?" Shikamaru patted Ino's arm so that she would step behind him.

"Cut me some slack Shikamaru, I'm not as young as I used to be. You should know that better than anyone" Neji stepped away from Shikamaru and entered the room, taking a look at the controls.

"Maybe but let me ask you one thing?"

Neji turned slowly.

"Shikamaru, what are you doing? Now is not the time for this"

Shikamaru ignored Ino and stepped right up to Neji. "Do you remember back during the war? Before the battles begun we tried to get you to go to the medical tent and you gave us such a hard time about it…"

"Yeah. What's your point?"

"My point is…the real Neji never degrades himself. He makes others feel bad, despite everything, and he never gets distracted…at least not by some fire, an academy student wouldn't get distracted by that. Not a good one anyway"

Shikamaru laid his hand on his knife hilt. Ino opened her shuriken holder and collected two but left her hand there.

Neji smiled and shook his head, "at least I've gotten better…"

Neji suddenly exploded into a puddle of water and the water rose into a figure with bright white and blue tipped hair and a shark-like grin.

"Suigetsu…I'm not surprised to see you lurking around." Shikamaru said menacingly.

"Lurking? Oh, yeah, because I'm a shark kinda guy. That's funny…" Suigetsu wiped his nose and giggled.

Shikamaru pulled out his knife and held it in front of him, Suigetsu raised his hands.

"Whoa, there's no need for violence"

"Says the man who pretended to be our friend. You could've slit our necks when our backs were turned"

"What makes you think that, lovely?" Suigetsu stepped back, close to the consoles.

Shikamaru noticed this and got ready to jump. "Don't you dare-!"

"Too late" Suigetsu dropped his hand on the control fire button and the gun began to raise and turn on. The other consoles became lit and began to activate. Jugo came out from behind the door.

Shikamaru pressed Suigetsu's face into the window.

"Didn't I tell ya? There's no need for violence"

"You cowardly shit—"

"Now that's out-of-line" Shikamaru kicked Suigetsu in the guts.

"Enough of this" Jugo announced.

Jugo had Ino with her hands held behind her back.

Shikamaru groaned, his blood pressure rising, "really, Ino?"

"Sorry Shikamaru. But I'm no good in a straight up fight"

"Yeah, I can see that"

"You gonna say it?" Suigetsu grinned.

Shikamaru sighed, "This is…such a drag"

The gun made a loud snapping noise and the barrel began to spin, unwinding all the clinks.

"Nice job, Jugo." Suigetsu gave him a thumbs-up

"Hey, I'm not done with you yet" suddenly, there was a loud laugh from down the hall.

"Well, what do we have here…?"

"Freezy-beezy, looks like we've got ourselves a dance-off, fools!" Killer Bee laughed loudly. Tsunade just shook her head.

"Lady Tsunade!" Ino said excitedly.

"Uh, Suigetsu?"

"Don't ask me, I'm stuck here"

"And so are you" Tsunade yelled and she punched Jugo right in the face.

"Ah…" Suigetsu flinched and closed his eyes.

"That's a killer"

"Ain't no killer but the Killer Bee, fool" Killer Bee cracked his knuckles and strode to Shikamaru and Suigetsu.

"Lay low boy, the real man gots this now"

"The 'real man'?" Shikamaru backed away and Suigetsu trembled.

"Whoa man, no need for violence" Suigetsu said again, he was sweating…or leaking.

"Ain't no violence here, fool, I just wanna dance." Killer Bee grabbed Suigetsu's collar.

Killer Bee grinned big, "tell me how the stars are!"

"What?" Killer Bee slugged Suigetsu and Suigetsu sunk to the floor.

"Oh, now I see what you mean…" Suigetsu said, delusional. He laughed manically and became quiet.

Shikamaru focused on the controls but it was hard to figure it out alone.

"Look around for any kind of guide or manual or something that can tell us how to work this" Shikamaru explained and everyone looked around.

"It's just a gun, gotta be some kind of off switch, right motherfucka'?"

"What?" Shikamaru froze.

"What, what?" Killer Bee asked and Shikamaru could only shrug. "Never mind"

The barrel stopped turning and it aimed up again.

"Alright, screw this then, change the coordinates. Make it to where it goes into the desert or something." Shikamaru looked around the consoles but he wasn't trained for this kind of thing.

"Wait…I'm sensing…" Ino suddenly spoke up.

"Ino?"

"You're sensing the end" a dark voice suddenly said and everything in the room became quiet.

A long sword suddenly appeared, thrown into the room, and nailed Shikamaru right in the shoulder.

"Gah!" Shikamaru cupped his shoulder, the blade was in deep.

"Who that?" Killer Bee activated his gun and stepped in front of the door, looking down the dark hallway, but he saw nothing.

"Shikamaru!" Ino came up to Shikamaru and formed her hands together in a sign and then her hands glowed green.

"Careful" Tsunade said, keeping an eye on Killer Bee.

"You need to remove the blade, be glad it wasn't closer to your heart" Ino nodded and grasped the sword and lightly tugged but it barely budged.

"Do it, Ino, just pull it out" Shikamaru gripped his shoulder and closed his eyes, bracing for the pain.

"Okay, ready…" Ino, using all her strength, wretched the blade out.

"Ahh…" Blood began seeping through Shikamaru's vest.

"I can only give you emergency first-aid Shikamaru"

"I know"

"I said 'Who That?'" Killer Bee yelled out again.

"…Just us dead people…or whatever one would say" Sephiroth reappeared in front of Killer Bee and kicked up hard enough to smash through the window.

"Killer Bee" Ino had her back to Sephiroth. Shikamaru opened his eyes and saw Sephiroth unveil his sword hilt.

"Ino!" Shikamaru grabbed Ino and threw her to the side, he then grabbed the blade in between his hands, and Sephiroth pushed himself and Shikamaru outside onto the barrel of the gun.

"Oh, hell no fool! Ain't goin' school the Killer Bee with that kind of move" Killer Bee took Shikamaru's vest collar and wretched him back and sent his fist flying for Sephiroth.

"Don't waste my time" Sephiroth grabbed his fist and using Jenova's strength Sephiroth crushed his wrist until his fist opened but Killer Bee fought back.

"…Strange, you have a lot of strength for some _shinobi_"

"Don't be messin' with my role fool, besides, you the real fool cuz you forgettin'…I still got a left hand fool!"

Killer Bee stepped close to Sephiroth and punched him as hard as he could in the guts then he tried to push Sephiroth off the edge of the barrel.

"Don't know who you are, fool, but when you hurt Killer Bee's buddies I got no choice but to spin you a loaf"

_A what? _Sephiroth merely rolled his eyes and answered back with his own strength which, with the combined power of Jenova, was much stronger than Killer Bee's but Killer Bee wasn't a pushover and he was starting to push Sephiroth to his limit. The Jenova cells in his bloodstream were starting to become dead and useless.

Killer Bee managed to get Sephiroth to move back but soon Sephiroth was pushing back.

"Let's see what a bee looks like when it's smashed on the ground" Sephiroth smirked and pushed Killer Bee back, one foot was hanging off the edge.

"I don't think so!" Shikamaru yelled. _"Ninja Art: Shadow Stitching_" Shikamaru closed his hands together and his shadow bolted, it came off the ground and floated in the air, the edges were as sharp as steel and they ripped through Sephiroth's skin, holding him in place.

"Who's the fool now?"

Sephiroth growled at Killer Bee as he stepped away and caught his balance. Sephiroth turned his attention to Shikamaru.

"You have a strong grip and your reaction time is top notch, surprising…"

"I've heard you talk and frankly I don't like it. But more importantly-"

Shikamaru looked back at Ino who was watching from the control room.

"—Anyone who messes with my friends, especially ones that are very precious to me, aren't going to get away with it" Shikamaru growled and changed his hand sign.

"_Ninja Art: Shadow Strangle" _The shadows began to wrap around Sephiroth's body and one shadow formed into a hand and began to reach for Sephiroth's neck.

"…a power to chock someone with your own shadow, as strange as it is exotic but nonetheless. I have something that needs to be done and I can't have you wasting my time"

"Whoever you are, you're not getting away"

"Why must you all be so annoying?" Sephiroth, using his power, managed to get the shadow to recede somewhat but Shikamaru was fighting back and the shadow began to creep back up.

"Shikamaru!" Ino walked out onto the barrel of the gun and wobbly started to make her way to him.

"Ino, stay back!" Shikamaru yelled and that tiny second of Ino's distraction allowed Sephiroth to fight off the shadow to the point that Shikamaru could barely hold his jutsu.

"No, you're not going anywhere!" Shikamaru pushed his shadow closer to Sephiroth's neck but he could barely hold onto his jutsu.

"I'll finish this…! _Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu!_" Ino cupped her hands together with an opening in the middle of them and she shot her mind at Sephiroth.

"Ino, no!"

Sephiroth turned but he stood still and his pupils enlarged, he sighed calmly and dropped his sword. Ino, back in the control room, fell to her knees and became still. Sephiroth's head fell and became very still.

"Ino?" Shikamaru released his jutsu and moved away from the edge. Sephiroth's shoulder moved a little and then raised his head.

"Shikamaru?" Sephiroth whispered weakly.

"Ino! What's wrong?"

Sephiroth's body jolted and began to tremble, he grinded his teeth together as his anger rose.

"Shikamaru I—"

"—You honestly thought you could control me with such a weak spell?" Sephiroth shouted and he forced Ino's spirit out of his body, with ease. He regained control and jumped; sword picked up and pointed at Ino's unconscious body.

_No! _Shikamaru could barely move but he still dived forward.

Time seemed to freeze…

Ino's head picked up a little before falling again. Her spirit had come back to her body; she hesitated for a moment before something warm dripped to the floor in front of her. She noticed it and slowly looked up before she became still.

Shikamaru was on his knees in front of Ino…with Sephiroth's blade through his chest.

"…Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru raised his head and he coughed up blood before smiling at her and saying "I told you not to do it…ha" he gave a very weak chuckle.

"Tch, you are getting on my nerves…"

"W—why you!" Ino got up and pulled out a kunai, she spun it on her finger before jumping at Sephiroth.

"Out of the way" Sephiroth merely punched her to the wall; she hit the wall hard and fell to the floor, knocked out.

Shikamaru pulled himself off of Sephiroth's blade.

"I came here to bring down the calamity, not play games with children…"

"You need to get your eyes checked because none of us here are children, at least, not anymore…"

Sephiroth stepped back and noticed Killer Bee had his hands together in a sign.

"It seems I'm going to have to get serious."

Shikamaru stood up and nodded at Killer Bee.

"I think it's time to make the fool dance, don't you?"

"A little tag-team isn't a bad idea" Shikamaru grinned and from one of his vest pockets he pulled out a black scroll.

"Your jutsus are useless"

"No one said this was a jutsu" Shikamaru undid the tape that was holding it closed and let it fly open. He retracted blood from his wound and used his thumb to write unfamiliar symbols on the text. He closed the scroll and began to wield signs.

"You think I'm going to let you…" Killer Bee flew forward. Sephiroth turned around and caught Killer Bee's right hand, not letting Killer Bee punch him again he drew his sword and cut Killer Bee's arm off, at the elbow.

"Gah, now you've done it!" Killer Bee jumped back to get some distance.

"_Ninja Art!"_

"But it's over for you now fool" Sephiroth turned back to Shikamaru.

"_Nara Style! Shadow Nightly Takeover!"_

There was a sudden flash over the sky and it turned pitch black.

"Whoa fool!" Killer Bee wobbled.

"The ultimate form of the Nara's clan shadow styles…The Nightly Takeover, prepare yourself cuz' there's no way you can avoid this" Shikamaru dipped down and smirked.

"It's time for this to end…"

"I believe so" Sephiroth's Materia reactivated as he jumped back onto the barrel of the gun, Shikamaru followed.

"Listen, Killer Bee, if I don't make it out of this, make sure Ino gets somewhere safe"

"What are you doing fool?"

Shikamaru looked back at Killer Bee with a face of confidence.

"…I'm going to protect my comrades"

Shikamaru turned away, his eyes no longer soft and kind but angry and serious.

"I'll show him what happens when you mess with a Nara"

"Just come at me already" Sephiroth complained.

"You really shouldn't be concerned with me; actually, I would be more worried about the sky"

Sephiroth instantly looked up and blobs of the sky began to drop and they took form of giant shadow hands.

"_Ninja Art: Nara Style: Shadow Nightly Takeover!"_

Sephiroth dodged one of the hands as it crashed into the barrel, his sword fell down to the ground far below.

"You shouldn't bite off more than you can chew." Shikamaru stepped closer.

"Nor should you" Sephiroth flew forward and Shikamaru answered with taking out a small blade and meeting him head-on.

"You will not survive this…" Sephiroth growled.

"I don't intend too"

With that Shikamaru and Sephiroth jumped back and they both got ready for the storm that was coming, steadfast.

TBC…


	8. A Seeking Calamity

ItsukoAkatsuki: Finally, I'm back and ready to finish the story :D I've graduated and finished moving into my new place which means more updates with less wait, yay! My apologies about the last chapter if it sounded strange, I wrote that in the course of three months, and I plan to rewrite it to make it sound better but that's until later on. With that, here's Chapter 8.

#

Chapter 8: A Seeking Calamity…

"_Ninja Art: Nara Style: Shadow Nightly Takeover!" _The clouded sky above them grew darker and the clouds began to sink and take a makeshift form of what appeared to be giant hands.

Sephiroth dodged one of the hands as it crashed into the barrel, his sword fell down to the ground far below.

"You shouldn't bite off more than you can chew." Shikamaru stepped closer.

"Nor should you" Sephiroth flew forward and Shikamaru answered with taking out a small blade and meeting him head-on.

"You will not survive this…" Sephiroth growled.

"I don't intend too"

With that Shikamaru and Sephiroth jumped back and they both got ready for the storm that was coming, steadfast.

#

Back in the control room, Ino was recollecting herself as Tsunade watched Sephiroth from the window. As soon as Ino realized that Tsunade was still there she shouted "Lady Hokage, have you been standing here the entire time!?" Tsunade still watched Sephiroth and then turned to Ino, "sorry Ino for not stepping in but…I recognize that man."

"Y-You do?" Ino was taken aback and then glanced at Sephiroth, "how do you know him?"

"Well, after Sasuke Uchiha started using the calamity cells within live people, it became rather popular talk, especially among the people of the nearby towns. When I was traveling I heard of a story of a young man that had survived a lethal dose of this _Jenova _calamity but as I thought there was no way Sasuke could control someone with the power that could easily match-out chakra…" Tsunade paused, Ino appeared confused, "uh…" Tsunade looked at her, "do you know what that means?"

"I'm not exactly following"

Tsunade sighed and looked back at Sephiroth, "When I transferred to A.V.A.L.A.N.C.H.E they had me look over the fallen Taka members that died from an overdose of Jenova cells. The Jenova cells eat up chakra as if the chakra was nothing more than a harmless protein and then it slowly ate the person's nervous system because it required the change."

"Required the change?"

"If someone learns something new they need to adjust to it. If they want to be stronger then they need to train. If someone wants to be smarter then they need to study. The shinobi bodies are born with chakra and we learn how to use it. Chakra and Jenova cells aren't the same product, there's not much in common other than its color which means the way it's used and taught is different." Ino suddenly started to get the jest of what Tsunade was explaining.

"So, in other words, our bodies can't live without chakra because it was in our bodies when we're born so if it goes away the body can't accept the loss and wastes away."

Tsunade shrugged, "somewhat, you have the right idea" Ino turned to Sephiroth and something dawned on her. "So wait! The reason that guy is alive is because he was born without chakra so his body mutated from the Jenova and he was acceptable to the change."

"That's what I thought at first when I heard about him but there's something wrong with that idea…" Tsunade hesitated. "What do you mean?"

"This Sephiroth character is no stranger to people like us." Tsunade waited to see if Ino caught on but Ino remained quiet so she continued. "Sephiroth was born with chakra; like us, and the Jenova calamity was injected into him."

"Wha-? But then how did he…?" Ino started but a rumble made her quiet. The control room shook horribly due to Shikamaru's jutsu. The shadow-like hands had wrapped themselves around the gun barrel and began to wretch it up with mighty strength. Shikamaru fell to one knee and tried to catch his breath but in his current condition it took longer than usual.

"We can talk about this later, they need our help" Tsunade jumped through the broken window and went to Killer Bee's side who was trying to stop the bleeding coming out of his arm.

"Bout' damn time, old lady, fer' a moment I thought you were a block of stone, fool'"

"Just be quiet and watch for Shikamaru" Tsunade closed her hands over the open wound and her hands begun to glow green. Ino landed, perched, next to Tsunade "Lady Hokage, what can I do?"

"Help me with the healing, as soon as I stop the bleeding I'm going in to aid Shikamaru"

"Then what can I do?" Ino closed her hands together and they too glowed green. "Nothing, just stay here and make sure this wound doesn't get any worse"

"Wha? Oh hello no, the big bad Killer Bee can't just take a second to breathe fool' I gots to get back in the action"

"You're not going back into the action if you don't be quiet" Tsunade threatened and her closed fist was enough to get Killer Bee to hush. Ino frowned and wished there was something she could do but her attempt at the mind transfer jutsu didn't last.

"Where is everyone?"

#

"Hey, wake up" Jugo nudged Suigetsu with his foot. Suigetsu slowly came back to life and looked up at Jugo dumbly. "Hey I was having a nice dream, leave me alone" Jugo kicked him again only a little harder, "look, we need to find Sasuke, get up" "can't that wait?" Suigetsu waved his hand at Jugo and kept himself on the floor.

"Hey, you two, stop lazily around and get the hell up!" Suigetsu opened his eyes, he knew that voice, "shut up you ugly bitch" Suigetsu got up off the floor and yelled at Karin who came from the doorway "Don't tell me to shut up, no one tells me to shut up" Karin replied angrily, "oh, yeah, you ugly skank? You can't make me" Suigetsu yelled back.

"ENOUGH!" Jugo yelled, silencing them both. "This is not the time to mess around. We need to fire that gun…"

"Uh…I thought you said we needed to look for Sasuke" Suigetsu rubbed his head and flinched when his hand went over his face; he was going to have a mighty bruise from Killer Bee's knockout punch.

"Yes but if that shinobi manages to disable the gun Sasuke won't be happy…Kimimaro wouldn't be proud of me otherwise; so we need to focus on that. We need to get serious or things won't end well for us…" Jugo paused.

"I see what you mean and by the way…Karin; where were you when me and Jugo tried to stop those guys?" Suigetsu glared at Karin who just scoffed at him. "At least I'm not stupid like you; there was no way I was going to stand up four shinobi; especially when one of them was the previous Hokage of the leaf village."

"That's just an excuse!" Suigetsu yelled back. "And it's not called being stupid it's called having guts which you obviously don't have!"

Jugo's body began to change when he allowed his anger to fulfill his spirit. "I'm sorry Kimimaro but in order to protect your dreams; your legacy, I will allow myself to suffer to accomplish this deed." Jugo smile turned maniacal as he grew in height and mass. Suigetsu and Karin immediately got quiet and stood back in fear as he began to change. "Jugo…"

Jugo's body twitched as he began to laugh; "I'll kill 'em; I'll kill them all!"

#

Shikamaru's shadow hands pulled the gun up and apart from the building, but the process was going slow because of Shikamaru's lack of chakra. Sephiroth caught Shikamaru's blade in his hand and fought with Shikamaru with strength but Shikamaru pushed back. "You shinobi just don't know when to give up, do you?"

"Giving up isn't in our vocabulary" Shikamaru pushed back, the space on the barrel was beginning to get smaller and any big move could end everything, Shikamaru's foot slipped but he caught it before his body fell.

"It's a long way down little shinobi" Sephiroth taunted; Shikamaru pushed back a little more and Sephiroth allowed himself to be pushed back. The scene needed to be perfect and without his sword it would take a little more and Mother Jenova was getting tired of messing around.

"Ino! You handle this; it's time I showed these young kids what the real Legendary Sannin can do!" Tsunade smashed her fist into to her hand and jumped forward when a hand caught her around the ankle and swung her around onto the catwalk below. "Lady Hokage!" Ino yelled as she saw Tsunade crash into the metal walkway. Tsunade got up quickly and Jugo's laugh gave his identity away. "I had a feeling I was going to have to deal with you."

"That was for knocking me around earlier. Now allow me to kill you…" Tsunade just scoffed "as if you could"

Jugo jumped down and his arm changed into a sharp welded ax and he swung at Tsunade who easily dodged with a jump and pulled her leg up to her chin and aimed directly for his head "how about a heaven kick of pain!?" she yelled before slamming her foot into his head but to her surprise his head didn't break nor began to bleed. "Surprised? I'm like a walking bad of rocks. It'll take more than that to knock me around this time"

"I can see that but can you endure this?" Tsunade's hand glowed with chakra and she reared to punch him but Jugo absorbed the railing and used it to hit Tsunade; expecting her to dodge and fall because of the lack of railing. Tsunade allowed the part of the railing to slash at her side so she wouldn't fall to her death; the height was more than enough to kill even a shinobi, especially with all the leftover construction down below. "Smart but how long can you last!" Jugo yelled and charged forward.

Up above Shikamaru was still clashed with Sephiroth who was waiting for the right moment when footing would become important. Shikamaru's jutsu was forcing them higher into the sky and the gun's mechanics were beginning to let loose and if not stopped the gun would soon become unoperatable. "The calamity is needed for this putrid world to exist and I will right the wrongs of the shinobi world and nothing but Mother Jenova will exist. Although I admire your sense of justice and abilities; it's too bad it's been wasted."

This set Shikamaru off and he pushed Sephiroth back a little more. "My Dad died so people like you could live and there's no way I'm going to let him down after everything he's done for this world"

"Well isn't that a pity?" Shikamaru pushed back again. Sephiroth smiled at him and finally used his strength to push him back a ways away. Sephiroth reached into his jacket and pulled his small blade that still had Kakashi's blood on it. Shikamaru allowed himself a moment to catch his breath and then he smiled. "You think I'm going to fall for it…don't you?"

"Spare me the lecture"

"You wanted us to get so far up this gun so that in my haste to defeat you I would lose my footing and fall? Not going to happen…" Shikamaru put his hands back together and his shadow nightly takeover let go of the gun and dove for Sephiroth. Sephiroth dodged one by taking a step forward and dodged the second one by jumping back. "I'm going to push you off the map" Shikamaru growled. The hands rose up and dived for Sephiroth again; he didn't have much farther to move so he had to go forward. He jumped forward and Shikamaru yelled "gotcha!" both hands slammed down onto Sephiroth; crushing him until there was nothing left. Shikamaru dropped his hands onto his knees and breathed out.

_That was such…an unneeded drag…_

"Shikamaru! You did it!" Ino yelled with a bright smile.

"…Yeah; I guess I did…" Shikamaru straightened then suddenly doubled over and upchucked blood. _Damn that Stigma but at least the fights over…_

"Shikamaru, hold on, I'm coming!"

Ino finished with Killer Bee; as much as she could do anyway, and turned back to Shikamaru but everything began to get slow.

"…Is the death you had in mind for me?" Shikamaru froze but before he could turn around Sephiroth stabbed him right in the middle of his chest. "…Because it's not one I had in mind" Sephiroth pressed his blade in further. "Shikamaru!"

"Your time has come and gone…say hello to your father for me" with that Sephiroth removed his blade from Shikamaru and allowed him to fall…off the gun and straight to the ground below…

"Shikamaru, no!" Killer Bee grabbed Ino's collar and kept her from jumping down to grab him. "It ain't no use girlie…" Killer Bee's tone was low. Ino recoiled and fought to get free "no it's not! That's Shikamaru, LET ME GO!" Ino couldn't match Killer Bee's strength and soon she just broke down.

Down below on the catwalk Tsunade was even with Jugo and out of the corner of her eye she saw Shikamaru fall. She immediately turned her head towards him which allowed Jugo to punch Tsunade squarely in the stomach. Tsunade leaned over his arm and closed her hands over his fist. _Damn it! If the Stigma wasn't giving me trouble I would done and finished with this boy_

"Ahh…that's one less I've got to kill; how convenient…" Jugo watched as well and his smile enlarged; "now I'll finish you!"

"I don't think so!" Tsunade yelled back and closed her hand into a fist and aimed for his head.

#

"…Whoa; did that guy just…?" Suigetsu peered out the window with a nervous chuckle.

"…I think so…" Karin answered; her voice was just as light. "Damn, Sephiroth! You don't play around do you?" Suigetsu straightened and turned to the untouched controls. "We need to get this gun operating. Especially since that guy's jutsu…uh, is no longer working…we need to take advantage of the moment." Suigetsu started to fiddle with the controls to the point where Karin loudly groaned and pushed him out of the way. "Let me do it! You're stupidity might mess it up" she yelled.

"My stupidity? Your ugliness could mess it up!" Suigetsu shot back. Karin continued without another word and the barrel slowly began to come back online as it repositioned to its original position. "The gun seems to still be working but that might not mean the same for the components." Karin moved away from the controls and looked out the broken window towards the bottom. "We're going to have to go down there and see."

"Ah…isn't there any Taka members left to do that?"

"No you idiot! They're all dead!" Karin yelled; "now go down there and see if everything is still online"

"Wait, why me? You're perfectly able to do it yourself!"

Karin kicked Suigetsu out the window onto the gun; "GO!" Suigetsu laid there for a moment then got up and straightened his clothes; "why do I have to do everything?" he griped.

#

Sephiroth crashed to his knees and stayed still until his heart slowed; he cringed from the sharp stings in his body. _I'm sorry Mother but I had to…use my chakra; I won't use it again…_

_**What is taking you so long? I want to taste the Lifestream already; stop messing around and do it already!**_

"Gladly" he answered aloud.

_**Hurry up! I'm getting tired of waiting**_

Sephiroth took his time standing back up and he slowly turned to face the control tower.

"Watcha' fool; you coming back for round two?" Killer Bee rearranged himself into a battle stance but Sephiroth merely charged right to his face and decked him back into the control room; Karin ducked just in time and immediately went to the corner. Ino was still motionless on the gun barrel and Sephiroth walked by her without a word and entered the control room.

"Are you going to interfere this time?" Sephiroth asked Karin with an exhausted glare. She didn't say a word and quickly shook her head and remained quiet.

Sephiroth moved the gun's position; straight for the night sky above them and flicked on a few switches.

"You can't fire the gun here…can you?" he asked Karin who just stared at him. "Well…?" he stepped forward and she blurted "no…Sasuke's office".

"I figured as much" Sephiroth turned and left the room. Karin released a heavy breath but didn't move a muscle. She stayed exactly where she was.

#

"We're close" Hinata yelled to Kiba who was lagging behind with Akamaru. Kiba stopped again to catch his breath. "Wait up Hinata; I'm not as young as I used to be and this place is still on fire!"

"Come on Kiba!" Hinata left him behind and charged forward. "God, this sucks" Akamaru whimpered along with Kiba and they briskly continued forward.

Kiba was halfway done the hall when someone was thrown into the hall through the window. Kiba jumped back with a yelp and Akamaru growled.

"…Lady Hokage?" Kiba braved forward to the unmoving Tsunade. He froze when he heard a loud laugh; "How about that?" the voice yelled.

Jugo cut away a part of the wall and entered from the catwalk. His body was completely transformed now and his regular self was easily forgotten. "Whoa…it's you!" Kiba gaped but then got serious. He put his hands together and said with a grin "ready Akamaru?" Akamaru barked in agreement, ready to fight.

_Let's start with something simple…Ninja Art: Fang over Fang Jutsu!_

Akamaru changed into a copy of Kiba and they both charged at Jugo who just prepared for his attack by changing his arm back into an ax like shape.

Up ahead, Hinata, had heard all of the noise turned around and started forward but Kiba's voice stopped her in her tracks; "go Hinata! I can handle him, you need to help the others" Hinata hesitated; searching Kiba's face but she knew he was serious so she swiftly nodded and turned around and disappeared from sight.

"You know; here I was thinking everything could finally be peaceful, despite the Stigma, but you guys just have to ruin everything…don't you?" Kiba's expression was no longer playful nor to an extent; silly. His face showed that he was ready for a fight and more than prepared to give one. Akamaru sensed this as well and became serious as well; not wanting to let down his master nor himself.

"I'm going to put a stop to this…right now!" Kiba jumped above Jugo with his fangs bared and his claws seeking its target.

#

Back in the A.V.A.L.A.N.C.H.E base there was a young woman searching through a file. The file cabinet she had received it had been locked with a key that only the head of the group was allowed to carry but there was no guards in pursue of her nor anyone looking for the leader's missing key.

"So…that's how he can be defeated…such a pity" the woman finally announced to herself and closed the file; holding it close. "It truly is terrible for anyone who can't understand that and fight him regardless…but oh well" her voice was rather cheerful despite knowing of the battles that were happening just some ways away. A man that had be waiting for her entered the tent and told her "we need to be going now…Miss Arieth"

"Yes I know…I know…" she answered and not bothering to return the folder she had she left with it and headed to a place that only she, and the man escorting her, knew.

TBC…_The last chapter of the past is upon us 'The Reason we Fight' and it will be available this week or early next week; see you then…_


End file.
